Remnants of Another Life - Books 4-6: Forbidden, Forgotten, Forgiven
by GambitLove
Summary: Mated agents, Wraith (Kagome Higurashi) and Fang (Koga) have a new international threat on their hands. A mysterious group has been targeting the gifted. With the newfound absence of H.A.V.O.C, murders of these talented individuals have begun to happen on a large international scale. Can R.O.O.T's infamous Alpha Team figure out the mystery before it is too late?
1. Chapter 1

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

 _PREFACE_

 _Book 3 of the Remnants of Another Life Series. Mated agents, Wraith (Kagome Higurashi) and Fang (Koga) have a new international threat on their hands. A mysterious group has been targeting the gifted. With the newfound absence of H.A.V.O.C, murders of these talented individuals have begun to happen on a large international scale. The only clue is a strange symbol that is left behind with the bodies. Can R.O.O.T's infamous Alpha Team figure out the mystery before it is too late, or will they become the group's new targets?_

 _**You WILL need to read Books 1 & 2 prior to reading this story. Otherwise you will NOT be able to understand all of the background or the terminology!.**_

* * *

Chapter 1

The young woman burst from her home and onto the darkened street. She pushed her legs with everything that she had in an attempt to get away.

Her very life depended on it.

Her heated barefoot trek took her down her street and to the main avenue. With every step, she prayed to a higher power for protection.

The weather, as if immediately responding to her fright, instantly became overcast. Numerous dark storm clouds gathered together in the sky. The low rumble of thunder echoed over her.

She needed to get to a public area. She needed help.

As she fled on the side of the road, she desperately hoped that someone might pass by and help her. She just needed one car… just one.

As if in answer to her silent prayer, a set of headlights appeared in the distance, making their way towards her.

 _Thank God!_ The woman thought to herself over the thumping sound of her frantic heartbeat. She braced herself as she pushed her body harder and faster to make her way to the car.

As the car approached she began screaming and flailing her arms, struggling to get its attention.

The heavens assisted her plight by providing her with a downpour of rain.

"Help! I need help! Someone is trying to kill me!" She shouted, hot tears now burning down her face.

The car immediately came to a stop.

"Thank you!" She shouted through harsh and ragged breaths. "Oh my God, thank you!" She continued, as she dove for the car door's handle to force her way inside.

The moment the door opened she bent down to shimmy inside. Her movements were so frantic and so desperate that she failed to notice the male passenger within.

The unexpected occupant's arm shot out, the tattoo of a cut circle stood out starkly on the pale skin of his hand. He immediately took a strong hold of her wrist and pulled her forcefully into the car.

Realization dawned on her too late.

"NOOOOOO!" She screamed. "DON'T DO THIS…!"

The rest of her frantic pleas were immediately cut off with the loud thud made by the closing of the door.

The car immediately sped up and took off into the night.

* * *

The bright florescent light streamed through the Intelligence department's main conference room. Many agents that were stationed at R.O.O.T's South Korean base affectionately referred to this particular room as the "War Room".

In this moment, General Sesshomaru decided that the affectionate term fit as he, the other department heads, and some of his other highest ranking agents, listened to Sage debrief them on a series of attacks that had been springing up in high frequency as of late.

Sage, the head of Intelligence, Gateway, the head of Technology, and Inquest, the head of Interrogation, attended the meeting through a secure video connection, as they were located on other bases.

A group that had yet to be named, seemed to be targeting, and diligently executing, gifted individuals. The group apparently had an international presence as the reports of the attacks spanned the globe.

"How can we be sure these acts are related?" Inspect questioned from her place at Sesshomaru's side. "This could be nothing more than sporadic hate crimes."

Sage sighed. "From what my agents have been able to gather, these people have been leaving a calling card behind." He advised, as he held up a small white card. There was a printed image of a circle with a horizontal line going through it on the card.

"That's informative." Inspect muttered sarcastically.

Kagome squinted her eyes from her place at the back of the room. For some reason, the symbol seemed very familiar to her and she struggled to place it.

"These have been left near the site of the bodies in every instance. The police agencies that have been handling these crimes have never been able to find any fingerprints on them or decipher what they mean. We haven't been able to place this symbol either."

"How are the victims executed?" Sesshomaru asked.

"According to all of the information that we pulled from the global police departments that are handling these cases; the method of execution is not known. What we do know is that the bodies are burned. Whether the victims are alive while it's happening, or if they are being killed first and then burned afterwards, it isn't something that they've been able to decipher."

"Why would someone want to kill the gifted?" Anatomy questioned.

"Because we're different." Inquest answered, quickly. "We pose a threat to those who are not."

"But we help the world." Anatomy retorted, feeling himself getting angry.

"Not all of us do." Gateway chided. "Many of the gifted choose to help the world with their gifts, while many others choose to go in the opposite direction. Just ask our old friends at H.A.V.O.C. They built their organization on the use of the gifted, just as R.O.O.T always has, although our objectives have always been in absolute opposition to one another."

"How long has this been going on?" Sesshomaru interrupted.

"It's been happening quite often over the past month." Sage replied. "Ever since we took out H.A.V.O.C, there's been an attack on the gifted at least three times a week."

"What's the connection?" Sesshomaru hissed, feeling his patience growing thin.

"We're trying to figure that part out." Sage replied. "We've been going through all of the data that we stole from H.A.V.O.C's database to see if it holds any clues, but so far, we've come up empty."

"Agents Wraith and Fang, what has your private investigation into H.A.V.O.C's data yielded?" Sesshomaru questioned, directing his attention to the two agents that lingered in the back of the room.

"We're still picking through it." Kagome admitted. "It's almost a century's worth of data and there's only two of us. We've been trying to look at what we can in between our other duties and the progress has been slow."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and Kagome took the hint.

"So far there is a wealth of information on gifted individuals, both human and demon alike, that worked within their organization, along with details on their powers. There is also information regarding the people that would often employ their organization." She informed before taking a deep breath.

"Could it be possible that this group is trying to punish the gifted for the decimation of H.A.V.O.C?" Koga asked thoughtfully.

"In looking back to similar crimes, it appears that this has been going on for quite some time. I'm talking years here." Sage advised. "However, it hasn't been this frequent before, so we have always considered these types of attacks to be random hate crimes and never gave it much attention." Sage huffed. "So, I do not believe that this is some form of retribution due to the loss of H.A.V.O.C."

 _Why would the attacks increase once H.A.V.O.C was out of the picture?_ Kagome wondered.

"Maybe H.A.V.O.C was an enemy of theirs." Kagome advised. "H.A.V.O.C's presence could have been keeping the attacks at bay. Now that they're gone, there's no one to stop them."

The attendants of the meeting seemed to ponder this thoughtfully.

"Does H.A.V.O.C's data make any mention of their enemies?" Sesshomaru said suspiciously, as he ran his fingers through his long hair.

"It doesn't call out enemies specifically." Sage informed. "They have information on many different terrorist groups, mainly because they were their clients. They also have a ton of information on many other groups, including R.O.O.T and numerous others."

"Is there any mention of that symbol somewhere?" Kagome asked. "Or anything about burning bodies?"

"No."

Kagome huffed. "So what is the plan to prevent more of these attacks?"

"We could send agents out to shadow the gifted." Anatomy thought. "We are forever working to update our database with information on them as we find them, and our H.R. department works very hard to recruit all of the ones that we are able to identify."

"We don't have enough resources to place agents alongside all of the gifted that exist in this world." Sesshomaru said coldly.

"The biggest issue is that these people don't act like other terrorist groups do. They don't take responsibility for their crimes publicly, nor do they tout about their group's mission in any way. As a result, we have no idea who they are." Sage interrupted.

"I want our best tracking agents and psychics to visit the scenes of the most recent crimes." Sesshomaru ordered. "Have them report back their findings. Maybe they can find a lead." He said as he met and held Kagome's eyes.

"Understood." All of the department heads said in unison.

"I will share the recent locations with you now, Inspect." Sage advised as he began to type away at his laptop.

"Great. I'll take a look and assign some of my teams to go out in conjunction with yours." She said authoritatively.

"I will assign several assassins with superior tracking abilities as well." Sesshomaru said in a low voice as his eyes scanned the room. "We will reconvene after we are able to study their findings. Until that time, you are all dismissed."

As the large video screens faded to black and the agents present in the war room began to disperse, Koga took the opportunity to whisper in Kagome's ear.

"I have a feeling that Alpha will be assigned to this."

"Probably. You'd be able to pick up on the possible scents of the enemy so that we can track them down. We also have Mystic who might be able to sense something."

"We'll have you, too." Koga said proudly.

Kagome smiled. "I doubt I'd be much help. I can't track down anyone that I haven't come in contact with before." Kagome said dejectedly.

"You're amazing at figuring stuff out. You may be able to find a clue or something that doesn't require the use of any sensory abilities." He said thoughtfully as they began to exit the room, however their movements were interrupted by the low voice of their leader.

"Agents Wraith and Fang, I want you to refocus your efforts in analyzing the data. Instead of picking through everything and flagging the demonic information that you find, I want you to now assist Intelligence in deciphering the information in relation to this current problem." Sesshomaru commanded from his seat at the conference room table.

Koga rolled his eyes.

"Yes, sir." Kagome replied on their joint behalf before turning to make her way to the elevator bank.

"Who has time to go through all that shit?" Koga muttered under his breath.

Over the past month Koga's new responsibilities had been taking up all of his available time. If he wasn't reviewing his department's mission strategies, the top brass was pulling him into meetings for his strategic input. Although he loved the additional influence and the status that his new duties provided, he didn't have time to take on any more work. He had his hands full.

"I know."

"R.O.O.T employs plenty of demons, they're all considered "gifted" beings here. Why can't he have any of them look through the data and identify demonic shit?" Koga said angrily.

Kagome sighed. She often wondered this herself and came up with her own conclusion, however it wasn't one that she would ever readily voice.

H.A.V.O.C most likely had some type of information that could or would relate to Sesshomaru in some way. She could only assume that there was something that Sesshomaru was possibly hiding from his past, something that he was more comfortable with Kagome unearthing versus anyone else. Sesshomaru had requested that Koga help Kagome in his spare time. Either Sesshomaru knew full well that Koga would never make the time to review the data, or he actually trusted Koga as well, although he would never admit it.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he has his reasons. I'll make a point to take a look at what I can today." Kagome said as the elevator kicked into motion and began to take them to their floor.

"He relies too heavily on you." Koga whispered.

 _Here we go._ Kagome thought, bracing herself for one of Koga's long lectures.

"If anything, this data thing is one giant excuse to have something to privately talk to you about over the next few years…" He started, happily getting into one of his favorite conspiracy theories regarding their leader.

Kagome instantly turned on Koga, grabbing his neck and pulling him down to her in a soft and interruptive kiss, effectively silencing him until the elevator's buzzer sounded signaling that they had arrived on their floor.

Upon hearing the sound, she released him and calmly exited the elevator, making her way to her office.

It only took a few moments before Koga caught up to her, falling in stride alongside her.

"Were you trying to shut me up?" He grumbled.

"I've heard that particular theory before." Kagome said offhandedly as she checked her watch, her engagement ring sparkling against the light as she did so. "I don't need to hear it again, babe. I barely get to see you anymore as it is, and when I do, I'd rather spend the time doing anything but talking about Sesshomaru." She admitted as she entered her office.

Koga sighed. "Sorry." He said, before the pinging sound of his phone diverted his attention.

"Damn it, another conference call." He grumbled, quickly giving Kagome a chaste kiss and walking away, most likely to his desk.

Kagome sadly watched him go before lowering into her seat and bringing up the data that was captured from H.A.V.O.C.

She missed him.

Over this past month it was as if she and Koga had switched places. In the past, he had an abundance of free time and would use it to seek her out. Most days, she would arrive home late and he would be waiting for her, a nice home cooked meal always waiting on the table. Now, he was usually pulled away during the day or extremely busy. When she did happen to get a free moment, she found herself looking to sneak some time in with him, not the other way around. When she got home late, he usually walked in the door even later. Koga was genuinely happy about his new role and higher stature within the organization and she was too. However, it was somewhat of an adjustment on her part.

The change gave her a renewed appreciation of him and all the things that he would do for her in the past, when he had the time. Without meaning to, she had taken all of his efforts for granted.

 _Maybe tonight I'll make something for him._ She thought happily to herself before blanching.

 _The last time I tried to cook I almost burned down the kitchen._ She remembered. _Albeit that was years ago, but still._

She could take down enemies with her bare hands, purify demons and hold her own in the bedroom, however, the domestic "Holly Homemaker" crap was way above her head.

 _It wouldn't hurt to try._ She thought, pushing herself out of her comfort zone. _I'll just pull up a how to video from YouTube._ She thought. _It can't be that hard to put something together if I'm following directions._

With her evening plan in place, she finally settled herself and dove into the records that were pulled up on her computer screen. An hour passed of scanning through the data before Kagome decided to try a different tactic and search the information using keywords.

 _"Circle with line through it."_ She attempted.

Nothing came up.

 _"Burning."_

A ton of records related to individuals with elemental fire powers came up.

Kagome sighed as a thought randomly came into her head.

 _"Tsuki Industries."_

Information related to Sesshomaru's private companies came onto the screen. The majority of the information was regarding the circuit manufacturing plants.

 _Makes sense._ Kagome thought, remembering H.A.V.O.C's development of the ultimate soldiers.

There was no information related to any of the people that were employed by Tsuki Industries nor was there any information regarding those who were invested in the company.

She tried another search term.

 _"Dog."_

Nothing came up.

 _"Sesshomaru."_

Nothing.

 _"Wolf."_

Several files came onto the screen.

 _Get out!_ Kagome thought as she quickly went through the records and came to a hard stop at one name.

It read, "Yuna Suzuki / Deceased."

 _Ayame? Why the hell were you in their database?_ Kagome hissed as she hurried to read the information.

The file listed Ayame's history within the police force along with a history of purchases made for lab equipment and the rental of many of H.A.V.O.C's scientists. Several large transfers of money from overseas accounts were also included in her file.

 _So that's where she got the materials and the staff to help Enzyme with his secret research related to the anti-human virus that he was designing!_ Kagome thought triumphantly, remembering that unlike R.O.O.T, H.A.V.O.C's gifted personnel was out for hire.

Kagome became dejected to find that there wasn't any additional information. Under the section reserved for "means of death", there was nothing more than a strange symbol that looked like two arrows facing in opposite directions.

 _What the hell does that mean?_ She wondered as she quickly attempted to try and search it.

Hundreds of thousands of records came up.

As Kagome tried to scan a few of them, she noticed that the only thing they all had in common was that all of the files were of people whom were dead.

 _Maybe that's H.A.V.O.C's symbol for deceased?_ She thought as she exited the search and began to pull up some random records from the system of individuals that were also flagged as being dead.

She found that some people had different symbols listed in the "means of death section."

 _Alright, maybe these symbols somehow explain the way these people died?_ She guessed. _How the hell would H.A.V.O.C even know how Ayame died?_ She wondered.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" The young woman cried as a hood was pulled over her head and her hands were tied tightly behind her back. The car she was in was going so fast that the G-force had her tightly pressed backwards into her seat.

"You are unclean." The voice of the male passenger that had tied her quickly responded, his voice full of compassion.

"I don't understand." The woman sobbed between frantic breaths. "I haven't done anything to you."

"You will understand with time." The female driver's voice called over to her. "We are here to help you, Emi."

The hostage immediately stilled at the use of her name.

"We know all about you, Emi." The female continued. "You will transcend away from your physical corruption and into the purity of nirvana. Be thankful that we found you."

"Huh? What are you going to do with me? I have money if that's what you're after. I can find a way to give you whatever it is you want." Emi said frantically.

"Money, like all things physical, are meaningless to us." The man at her side chided. "The greatest reward is setting your soul free."

"You're going to kill me." Emi realized. The knowledge provided her with a burst of adrenaline and she immediately shifting her position in her seat and blindly tried to kick out the car's window in a desperate attempt to somehow flee.

Two strong hands immediately wrapped around her, interrupting her efforts and effectively restraining her.

The pouring rain that was flooding over their car immediately turned to hail. The hail was so large that it pelted the car and shattered the windshield.

"She's trying to stop us." The driver called out. "Knock her out!"

"I didn't want to have to hurt you." The male voice grumbled.

With these words, Emi felt a sharp pain against the side of her head and her world faded to black.

* * *

Before Kagome knew it, hours had passed and the sun had already gone down. She tiredly rubbed her eyes and prepared to go home.

As she left her office she made her way past Koga's desk, finding that he was not there.

His computer was still on and his things were littered about.

 _He most likely got pulled into something._ She muttered as she checked her watch and set off to cook dinner.

As she left the building and crossed the grounds, she noticed that Sesshomaru was out for one of his walks.

"I found some stuff in the data." She said as she made her way over to him. "I don't think any of it relates to this morning's meeting, but it seems interesting."

Sesshomaru said nothing. Instead he began to walk alongside her as she walked over to her building.

"Do you think that there is something in all that data about you?" Kagome whispered.

Sesshomaru seemed to hesitate before answering.

"It is possible." He admitted. "I have also been combing the data personally, however, I have yet to find anything of substance. Most of their information seems to be written in some type of code, which make it most cumbersome to read."

"Oh." Kagome said, quickly becoming dejected that Sesshomaru already knew about the coding that was hidden within the records.

 _So much for my big finding._

"Is there anything that you're afraid they have on you?" She asked carefully.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, yet did not speak.

"It helps to know what I'm looking for." She pushed, hoping to provide him with some incentive to share with her. "I hope that by now, you know that you can trust me."

As they approached the door to Kagome's lobby, she spoke again.

"Thanks for walking me. I'm off to attempt to cook dinner." She said chuckling. "Hopefully I don't burn the building down."

Sesshomaru studied her. "You are not able to prepare food?"

"I can make a bowl of cereal and I am very adept at calling in dinner from the base's kitchen." She said smiling.

Sesshomaru blinked several times before turning and walking away. "Best of luck to you agent Wraith and goodnight."

"Goodnight!" She called back as she hurried into her building's lobby, nearly crashing into Frisk as she ran blindly towards the elevators.

"Can you talk?" Frisk asked abruptly.

"Huh? How did you get in here?"

"Mystic let me in. I had been hanging out with her and Quake for a while, but they kicked me out." He huffed.

Kagome knew better than to take the bait and ask why.

"Is something wrong?" She said instead, as she got into the elevator with Frisk following right behind her.

"Inspect's being a complete bitch!" He grumbled as he followed her into her apartment.

"What happened?" Kagome asked as she took her shoes off and headed directly into her kitchen, getting straight to work.

"Rai, Inspect and I have been together for a while now. I get that she has a demanding job and I'm fine with that. But is it too much to ask to spend some time together once in a while? The only time I get to see her is early in the morning or late at night. We never get to do anything at all!" He roared.

Kagome paused. "I thought your relationship was a secret?"

"We've never announced it, but people have started to catch on. We don't deny it, but we don't put the information out there either." He answered, as he walked around the apartment, taking note of all the pictures that were littered throughout the home.

"Do you two try to plan days off or anything like that?" Kagome asked as she began to boil some water and add some oil to a pan in accordance to the notes that she was taking from a video she had playing in the background.

"No."

"Well you may want to start there."

Frisk sucked his teeth. "It's not the same."

"You have to start somewhere. If you really cared for her, you'd find a way to make it work. Planning things ahead of time would certainly help, don't ya think?" She muttered as she started mixing some ingredients together before whisking the yolks of several eggs.

"Why does all of this have to fall on me though? Why can't _she_ try to plan some time with me?"

"Have you told her that?" Kagome asked as she poked at a few raw chicken breasts with a chopstick and gagged.

The sound grabbed Frisk's attention.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He asked curiously as he came up behind her to investigate.

"I'm trying to make dinner." She said as she dumped the dry ingredients into the whisked egg yolks.

"You don't cook. I seem to remember you trying to once and you almost destroyed your old apartment."

"That was years ago." Kagome muttered as she grabbed a chicken breast with a tong and flung it onto a wooden cutting board, blankly staring at it.

"You're going to have to touch that to cut it." Frisk said, wincing.

"It makes me gag. It's slimy." She said trying not to look at it.

Several moments passed with Frisk and Kagome staring at the chicken.

"Could you do it?" Kagome asked sweetly.

"Yuck. Hell no!"

Kagome huffed and placed her palm on the breast and immediately gagged.

The sound prompted Frisk to also gag.

"Why did you choose chicken if it freaks you out?" Frisk wondered.

"Because it's the easiest meat to work with." She replied.

"Chicken isn't meat, it's poultry."

"And poultry is bird meat." Kagome quipped.

Frisk scratched his head.

"Maybe if you put something between your hand and the chicken then you won't have to feel it." He said thoughtfully as he looked for something to anchor the chicken down with.

He felt like a true hero when he pulled the lid off of the giant pot of water that was on the stove and placed it on top of the breast.

"You're so smart!" Kagome exclaimed, beaming at him.

She immediately got to work slicing the breast in half before repeating the same process with several others. When she completed this task she checked her haphazard instructions before shrugging and dumping all of the cut chicken breasts into the bowl of mixed egg yolks.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that." Frisk said seriously. "Aren't you supposed to dip them one at a time and then roll them in the crumbs?"

"What difference does it make?"

"I'm not sure, but I've never seen anyone dump them in all at once."

"I'm sure it's fine." Kagome said offhandedly as she set off to gather her bowl of breadcrumbs.

Frisk watched as Kagome set up the bowl and attempted to suppress her gag reflex yet again when she fished the yolk covered breasts out of their current bowl and into the new breadcrumb bowl.

"Frisk do me a favor and turn on the fire for that pan of oil that's sitting on the stove." She requested before gagging loudly.

"Can you stop doing that? It makes me sick every time I hear it!" He grumbled as he turned on the burner's pilot, waiting for the oil to bubble.

"I can't help it!" She huffed, flustered, as she tried to work the chicken into the crumbs using nothing but tongs.

"Anyway, back to what you were saying. It shouldn't just be you doing all the work to try to see her. I'm assuming you told her that already?"

"No, I didn't. We got into a fight because I said we never do anything and that she doesn't make time for me. Then she said that I knew what I was getting into with her position and blah, blah blah…" He grumbled, trying to forget the heated argument.

"So maybe approach her and say, here's a potential solution that we both need to work at. Tell her that you care about her and you care about making it work." Kagome said honestly as she washed her hands and checked on her pot of water.

"This is taking too long to boil." She said angrily, immediately turning the fire up all the way.

"You have too much water in that giant pot, that's why." Frisk corrected.

"No, it's not. It's because you took the lid off so that I could use it to hold the chicken." She retorted.

"That wouldn't make a giant difference, Rai."

"Since when are you a fucking chef?" Kagome grumbled. "Mr. Know-it-all."

It was at this moment that Kagome's phone rang and she hurried to pick it up, noticing that Frisk had taken to poking at the breaded chicken with a chopstick while loudly gagging in the background.

"Agent Wraith speaking." Kagome said, walking off and failing to notice that the pot of water was now boiling and was threatening to spill over.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, General. No, I haven't burned down the apartment yet, but thank you for checking on my wellbeing." She said sarcastically.

It was at this point that the pot boiled over, the water of which, fell into the pan of heated oil that was right next to it on the stove.

"Rai!" Frisk screamed in the background. "The pan is on fire!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Holy shit!" Kagome yelled, immediately dropping her phone and running to get the fire extinguisher.

"How do you use this thing?!" She shouted as she struggled to read the instructions.

"You moron!" Frisk spat as he grabbed the fire extinguisher from her and attempted to do the same.

Kagome ran over to get a lid, hoping to stifle the flames that way. She silently thanked a higher power when she found the one she had used on the chicken. She quickly launched it, hoping it would land on top of the pan.

Luck was not on her side today.

The lid hit the top of the pan, causing some of the oil to spill out onto the stove, spreading the fire from the pan to the stove itself.

As the fire alarm began to go off, a huge bang resounded through the apartment. Sesshomaru made quick work of breaking past her front door and quickly ran into her kitchen, calmly observing the situation.

He quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher from Frisk, pulled out the pin and squeezed the handle, successfully putting out the fire in true heroic fashion.

Once the flames were extinguished he eyed both agents suspiciously.

The silence between all parties seemed to stretch out indefinitely before Kagome spoke.

"Do you know how to cook?" She asked brazenly. "I need to figure out a way to fix this before Fang gets home."

Sesshomaru shook his head in disbelief and immediately set off to open her apartment's many windows to air out the smoke.

He curiously took note of Kagome's apartment as he moved about, studying the décor and the home's many pictures. The large picture of Kagome and Koga that was placed on their living room wall caught his eye.

Kagome was wearing a champagne colored dress and was being held tightly by Koga, who was in a black suit. Her hand was clasped over his, making great show of her idiotic engagement ring. Both Kagome and Koga were staring lovingly into each other's eyes with candles and rose petals strewn about in the background.

Sesshomaru felt a tingle of warmth flood into his heart at her obvious happiness.

 _That must have been when he proposed to her._ Sesshomaru thought to himself as he moved along.

As he made his way back to the kitchen, he noticed another picture in her hallway.

As he approached it, he immediately recognized Inuyasha. He and Kagome were apparently in a photo booth having an argument. It was obvious that Kagome had made him "sit" in the final photo of the series.

He grabbed the picture and brought it back with him to the kitchen to study it further. As he reentered the kitchen, he noticed that the mess had been cleaned up and Kagome was once again trying to cook whatever decrepit concoction she had come up with. This time, she had pushed the pot with the water onto the burner that was the furthest away from the pan with the oil. She had also placed a lid on top of the pot.

"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." She muttered idiotically.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Where was this taken?" He asked, pushing the photo of Inuyasha into her hands as he set off to find, and pour, himself a glass of wine. "You know you are not allowed to have any photos of the past."

"No one in that photo exists." Kagome answered quickly. "Therefore it is not against the rules." She corrected, as she passed the photo over to Frisk while she busied herself with frying the chicken cutlets.

Sesshomaru noticed that every time she picked the chicken up with the tongs, she appeared to stifle a gag.

"That was taken in Tokyo, by my old home." She called over to him. "It was one of the times that he came to visit me."

"This is the guy you named the dog after, right?" Frisk said curiously, remembering the hanyou from Koga's memories.

"Sure was." Kagome said softly as she removed the fried chicken from the pan and started on a new batch.

Frisk smiled and began to collect some of the dirty dishes that had accumulated and placed them into her dishwasher. He then set off to further explore her apartment. When he got to the bathroom he called out to her.

"You have the mother of all showers!" He yelled. "You have like ten sprays in here!" He said excitedly.

Kagome ignored him and instead added the pasta to the boiling water.

"It seems that you have everything under control now, Miss Wraith." Sesshomaru said lowly as he leaned against her counter, once again studying the picture of Inuyasha as he sipped his wine.

"You miss him, don't you?" She said softly as she watched him.

Sesshomaru scoffed. "Ridiculous."

"I miss him too." She said by means of response, as she finished off the chicken and began plating the food. When she was done, she passed a bowl of salad over to Sesshomaru.

"It's done, just toss it." She instructed, becoming elated when he actually did so.

Kagome set the strainer up in the sink and hauled the giant pot of pasta off the burner and hobbled over to it. She quickly found that she was unable to lift the large pot over the lip of the sink to pour it.

Sesshomaru immediately noticed and walked over to help her. He hovered over her from behind and took the handles from her hands, lifting the pot and dumping the contents into the strainer.


	2. Chapter 2

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 2

When Koga arrived on his floor, he was greeted with the faint smell of old smoke. He only became concerned by this information when the concentration of it surrounded his apartment door.

As he went to investigate, he immediately noticed that the door was left cracked opened.

Fearing a break in, or something worse, he ran into the apartment to find Kagome. Upon entering, he was immediately greeted to the smell of fried chicken, along with the scents of two people that should never, _ever_ be in his home, especially when he wasn't there.

Koga followed his nose straight into the kitchen, immediately freezing in place as he watched Sesshomaru drain a pot into his sink, while wrapping his body around Kagome to do so.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing in my house?!" He spat, instantly becoming murderous while his bonding scent flooded into the air.

Before Sesshomaru could answer him, a voice called out behind him, jolting him.

"Hey Fang! You have _the_ best shower!" Frisk said, happily. "I could spend all day in there!"

As Koga turned to Frisk in an attempt to make sense of his idiotic statement, he took in his appearance and immediately gaped at him.

Frisk was only wearing pants. He had apparently just come from the shower and haphazardly dressed. His usual spiked blond hair was wet and rustled against his head. His large, thickly muscled chest was still damp. The wide expanse of it was covered by numerous tattoos. Frisk currently had one of Koga's large towels draped over his shoulders, his shirt in hand.

In this moment Frisk looked strangely reminiscent of all the chiseled and provocative men that graced the covers of Kagome's many dark romance novels that were strewn about their house.

Koga immediately tried _not_ to imagine Kagome's hands running their way down his broad chest, or Frisk's thick strong arms wrapping around her in an intimate embrace… from his imaginings of the romantic past that they both shared with one another.

Livid, Koga frantically shifted his gaze between Frisk and Sesshomaru several times while his bonding scent now powerfully flooded out the entire apartment.

"GET OUT!" He roared, feeling his teeth extend out from his mouth.

"Babe, they helped me cook!" Kagome said softly, as she tried to approach him.

As Koga turned to look over at her, he noticed that Kagome's picture of Inuyasha was on the countertop, staring at him… and Sesshomaru was standing over it, openly smirking.

"EVERYONE OUT NOW!" He shouted.

This was a scene that was way too reminiscent of his ongoing nightmares. These men were the last two people on Earth that he wanted his woman alone with; one of them very obviously wanted to steal her away from him at the first opportune moment and the other just so happened to be her half naked ex boyfriend.

"Can we at least try the food before you stink up the place?" Frisk asked, as he absentmindedly ran his hand over the light happy trail of hair that ran from his belly button, down a portion of his defined six pack, ending well into his pants. He was apparently trying to dry it.

Frisk seemed to be completely unperturbed by Koga's changing appearance.

Koga growled loudly in warning.

Kagome immediately took a hold of Koga's hand and dragged him towards the bedroom.

"Don't be so rude!" She hissed, as the bedroom door closed behind them. "The least we can do is offer them some food."

"Have you lost your fucking mind?!" Koga said, through clenched teeth.

"But, they helped me make you dinner!" She said, sadly.

"You don't cook Kagome!"

"I did today. I wanted to surprise you like you always used to do for me."

"So why are _they_ here?!" Koga roared, losing his patience.

"Frisk came up for advice and Sesshomaru came… to put out the fire." Kagome mumbled, dropping her eyes to the floor.

Koga rubbed his temples. "You set the place on fire?"

"Just the stove." She corrected, before setting back off to address their unwelcome company.

When she got back to the kitchen, she noticed it was empty.

"They left."

"Good. I don't want either of them in here, Kagome. _Ever_. Do you understand me?"

"Excuse me? Are you telling me who I can be friends with?" She asked, her tone horrified, as she spun around to meet Koga's eyes.

"You can be friends with whoever you want! But, I don't want Frisk running around our house half naked and I don't want Sesshomaru here… ever. I don't care if the house IS on fire. He's not allowed to come in. Is that clear?" He shouted, flashing his long canine teeth.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and she studied him for a moment before storming off and slamming their front door behind her.

Koga made no attempt to follow her. He was absolutely furious. He instead walked into the kitchen to assess the damage and was grateful in finding that there was none.

He took a deep breath and instead diverted his focus into studying the food that Kagome had plated, cautiously taking a sniff.

He noted that it didn't smell rancid and reached for some utensils so that he could try it.

He eyed the food suspiciously before putting it into his mouth and he chewed it slowly.

 _This is actually pretty good!_ He thought as he swallowed it down, thoroughly impressed. He quickly moved on to sample the pasta, turning it over in his mouth so that he could decipher the spices.

Halfway through the food, he came to the conclusion that the meal was actually quite delicious.

 _She made this for me. She tried to surprise me. She tried her best and she almost burned the damn house down doing it… just to please me!_ His mind chided.

"Fuck my life." He grumbled loudly, now feeling incredibly guilty.

* * *

Kagome hissed as she focused on her purification powers, forcing them into her arrow as she poised her bow in the direction of the target.

After her little argument with Koga, she had gone to the training center to blow off some steam. For the past month, she had been specifically training with her purification powers per Sesshomaru's request.

 _It's kind of hard to learn all this crap on my own._

She thought to herself, wishing there was someone around that could teach her.

 _I should have paid more attention to grandpa's teachings and to all of the information that we kept at the shrine while I still lived there._ She thought, remembering the many historical books that her family had kept over the generations.

As she released the arrow it immediately hit its mark, the light of her powers fading from the arrow in response to her will. She made a mental note to investigate the employee records to see if there was anyone with similar abilities that she might be able to train with.

Kagome released her hold on the bow and closed her eyes, trying to now focus her purification powers into some type of barrier, however the light she emitted would not be contained.

 _This sucks. I have no idea what I'm doing!_ She thought, becoming frustrated.

She had to admit that her purification abilities were extremely powerful, more so than anything she had ever seen Kikyo or any of the other priests or priestesses in the Feudal Era ever muster. It was just too bad that she wasn't able to channel them appropriately.

She wondered what would happen if she just let loose. The thought was tantalizing so she tried it, immediately closing her eyes and blasting her bright heated spiritual energy out and into the room. She instantly felt sharp electricity shoot through her.

The feeling was an utter high.

Before she was able to try to use her energy to once again attempt to form a barrier, she was interrupted by the sound of a deep growl that echoed through the training center and she immediately quelled her powers in response. She turned quickly towards the source of the noise and saw Koga pressed up against the door near the entranceway. His eyes were red, wide and glowing. It looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Are you ok?" She shouted, as she jogged over to him.

Koga took a deep breath, apparently trying to steady himself.

"I'm fine." He promised, as he met her eyes.

"Why are you here?" She asked, curiously.

"I was trying to find you." He admitted. "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry I yelled at you." He said softly, as his arms shot out and pulled her to him in a tight hug. "But I still don't want those two in OUR house alone with you. It makes me uncomfortable." He admitted.

"If it helps at all, I had no idea that Frisk helped himself to the shower." Kagome mumbled against his chest.

Koga sucked his teeth. "That idiot always finds some way to create chaos."

Kagome cleared her throat. "I'm actually the one guilty of that today. Cooking really isn't my thing." She admitted. "It almost spiraled out of control."

"The food came out great though." Koga said seriously, as he placed a loving kiss on her forehead.

"You ate it?"

"Of course I did."

"You had dinner without me?!"

"Um. Yea. I only meant to try the food but I ended up eating most of it." He confessed.

"How rude!" She said, as she tiled her head up to meet his eyes. "I bust my ass cooking, you come home and yell at me, I leave, and then you eat the food by yourself?"

"When you put it that way it makes me seem like a total dick."

"You said it, not me." Kagome huffed.

Koga growled and pushed his lips against hers, taking her mouth into a hot and possessive kiss.

"Your sex appeal doesn't make you any less of a jerk." She said softly against his mouth.

Koga snickered. "Come home. It's late and I've missed you." He said lowly, as he began to lead her out the door and back over to the apartments.

* * *

"Emi Okada was a gifted woman with the ability to control the weather." Kagome advised her Alpha team as she walked them through the mission brief in her office the following morning. "Her burned body was found in the woods early this morning by visitors to the Yamagata prefecture. The group responsible for her death left a card with this symbol on it." Kagome instructed, as she held up a print out of the strange circle with a dissecting horizontal line running across it. "Our objective is to go the site where her body was discovered and look around for clues. Once we have done so, we will also break into the morgue where her body is being kept to further investigate. After we finish, we will report back our findings."

"She was burned to death?" Mystic said, quickly becoming horrified.

"We're not sure. It is possible. However, it is also possible that she was killed in some other way and her killers burned her body in an attempt to destroy evidence."

"Why can't the local cops take care of this?" Frisk grumbled.

"This is an international crisis." Kagome informed. "This unnamed group has been killing our kind a minimum of three times a week globally. They leave these stupid calling cards behind, so we know they're all connected, but we have no idea who this group is. R.O.O.T is sending out teams of their best trackers and psychics. Our team is being assigned to this victim in Japan as we are the closest."

"When do we set out?" Koga asked, thoughtfully.

"In an hour. The site is still fresh so we'd like to get there as soon as possible in hopes that you and your wolves might be able to catch a scent."

Koga nodded.

"Everyone is to gear up and meet me on the runway in thirty minutes."

"Understood." Her team replied in unison before they hurriedly left her office.

* * *

The five members of Alpha team, along with four of Koga's wolves, exited their two vehicles at the base of Mount Haguro.

 _The body was located off to the West._ Kagome said through the team's shared mental connection, courtesy of Mystic's psychic abilities.

Kagome brought up the coordinates on her phone that showed where the victim had been found and quickly set forth into the dense forest, her team following closely behind her.

 _Trace and Fang, keep scanning around and let us know if you sense anyone. We don't want to be found out._ Kagome warned.

 _Why would anyone be in the woods anyway?_ Terrain asked, as she looked around.

 _Do you have any idea where we are?_ Kagome asked.

 _We're on Mount Haguro._ Terrain answered quickly, slowly becoming perplexed.

 _Mount Haguro is a very holy place._ Kagome informed the group. _It is one of the Three Mountains of Dewa. As the lowest of the three mountains, it is the only one that is accessible throughout the year. Many followers of the Shugendō branch of the Shintō religion, like myself, make pilgrimages here._

 _So it is very likely that we may bump into people out here._ Frisk explained.

 _Then I'm guessing that whoever killed this girl didn't burn her body out here. That definitely would have attracted a lot of attention._ Koga grumbled into the collective group's consciousness.

 _So they dumped her here?_ Mystic wondered.

 _Who knows._ Trace answered.

Kagome halted as her phone's GPS indicated that she was standing in the correct location.

 _Her body was found right around here._ She advised.

Upon the news, Koga growled lowly and he, along with the wolves, began to wander around the area, attempting to pick up on a scent.

 _There's no mistaking the smell of burnt flesh. There's also a strong scent of incense._ Koga said, as he walked around.

 _Could the scent of the incense be coming from the shrine up ahead?_ Kagome questioned.

 _No, this scent of incense is braided around the scent of burnt flesh._ Koga clarified.

Kagome idly wondered how it would feel to be able to perceive scents in the way that Koga did. He always described them in a very visual way and she found it to be intriguing.

The wolves soon began barking and Koga nodded at them.

 _We all agree that there is a fresh male and female scent in this small area. We've committed both scents to memory._ Koga advised.

 _Mystic what about you? Are you able to pick up on anything here?_ Frisk asked.

 _I'm not getting anything. I don't feel any pain or suffering lingering in this area. Like I said before, this poor girl was probably dumped here._ Mystic replied.

 _Fang, can you and the wolves follow those two scents for us?_ Kagome asked.

Koga growled and he and his wolves set off slowly in an Eastward direction, with the group following closely behind.

Kagome watched the group set off, her eyes momentarily falling over a small area of the ground where the grass was obviously flattened.

 _That's probably where they laid the remains._ She thought to herself as her body moved forward to look upon it.

She took out her camera and took a few pictures of the site before dropping to her knee and investigating the ground. She could barely make out a few remnants of scattered ash. Seeing nothing of further interest, she hurried off to catch up to her group.

Koga's investigation took the team over to the area where they had parked their cars.

 _The scent trails end here._ Koga advised. _They obviously came and left by car._

 _What's next boss?_ Frisk asked curiously, his eyes flicking over to Kagome.

Kagome mentally sighed. _We're off to the Tsuruoka city morgue. We're breaking in._

 _Sounds like fun. The occupants there will probably be a lot livelier than this bunch._ Frisk said, his hand motioning over the members of their team while widely smiling.

 _Let's get moving._ Kagome ordered, ignoring him, as she headed straight for the cars.

* * *

 _How did last night's dinner turn out?_ Frisk asked, while suppressing a laugh from the driver's seat of his car.

 _The food or the dinner itself?_ Kagome muttered from the driver's seat of her own car.

Koga rolled his eyes from his place next to Kagome.

 _Both!_ Frisk replied.

The team was currently staking out the morgue from their cars, waiting for it to close for the evening. Kagome, Koga and three wolves sat in one car, while Frisk, Trace, Terrain, Mystic and one wolf sat in another.

 _The shared dinner didn't happen, but the food actually turned out pretty good!_ She admitted, remembering the tasty meal that she had to reheat last night.

 _I find that hard to believe. That shit looked like a hot mess._ Frisk grumbled. _Fang, did you like it? Be honest! Rai's never going to get any better if you're afraid to hurt her feelings._

 _It was delicious._ Koga said. _And that's the honest truth._

 _Lies!_ Frisk spat. _You know that if you admit that it sucked, the only action that you'd be getting over the next few days would be from your right hand. That's what you're afraid of!_

The group collectively chuckled through their shared connection as they felt Koga's anger wash over them.

 _It really was good! Would you believe that I actually saved you some because I knew you would say something stupid, Frisk? You can actually try it out and see for yourself!_ She said through her own laughter.

 _You really did? That's so sweet Rai! I'll stop by tonight to pick it up._ Frisk said, happily.

 _Like hell you will!_ Koga grumbled.

 _I've never seen anyone get so pissed off by another person using their fucking shower!_ Frisk spat. _This isn't the wolf world, Fang. You don't need to fiercely defend your territory. It's just a shower for Christ's sake._

 _I don't care about the stupid shower! What I care about is you wandering around MY house half naked. Who the hell does that?!_ Koga roared.

 _You should file a report with H.R., baby._ Kagome said, seriously. _That sounds like sexual harassment to me._

The comment hit the mark and Frisk immediately began to sputter, prompting Koga to erupt into a fit of laughter.

 _As your supervisor, I'd gladly sign off on the complaint for you._ Kagome added, as she watched the lead mortician lock the back door to the morgue before leaving.

As the group began to laugh, Kagome cut them all off.

 _It's go time people. Trace I want you at the door, let me know if there's anyone left in there. Fang you take the rear, let me know if anyone is coming. I'll work on picking the lock._ She ordered. _Once we're in, you can call over the wolves._

 _Understood._ Came the team's voices, immediately becoming serious as they exited their vehicles and hid within the shadows.

Trace stealthily approached the door, silently lowering his head and squeezing his eyes shut in front of it.

 _Nobody is in there._ He confirmed.

His words prompted Kagome to leave her hiding spot and approach the door, immediately getting to work in picking the lock. As she did so, she felt the members of her team silently surround her.

It only took a few minutes before the lock popped and she cracked open the door. As she did so, Koga lowly whistled, signaling the wolves.

Once the wolves approached, the team rushed in, closing the door behind them.

 _Fang, take the lead. Track that burning scent that you encountered back at Mount Haguro._ Kagome ordered.

Koga immediately took off with set purpose and the rest of the group struggled to keep up with his long stride. It only took him a few minutes to bring them to the doors that would lead them into the main autopsy suite and he did not hesitate to enter the room. Upon entering he immediately turned on the lights and headed straight to one of the large metal drawers that covered the walls. It was at this point that he turned to meet Kagome's eyes, seeking permission.

 _Go for it._ She said softly, while nodding her head in approval.

Koga slowly pulled on the large drawer's handle and the team huddled around to take a look at the deceased human that lay within the large metal box.

As the charred remains of a skeleton, that had obviously been meticulously pieced together, came into view, Kagome's eyes widened.

 _It's nothing more than burned bones._ Mystic said sadly, as she reached out and laid her hand over the bones of the victim's hand. _This woman suffered._ She whispered. _There was so much fear._

 _Can you tell if she was alive while they burned her?_ Frisk asked.

 _I can't. My powers don't work that way._ Mystic huffed.

 _She was already dead before they set her on fire._ Kagome said eerily, as she stared at the body, her eyes unblinking.

Koga's instincts immediately responded to something in her tone and his eyes quickly focused on her.

 _How do you know that?_ Frisk asked, curiously.

 _The fire was used to purify her body and release her spirit into the heavens._ Kagome answered.

 _Huh?_ Frisk said, puzzled.

 _Her bones are covered in prayers… in ancient seals..._ She muttered.

 _Where do you see that?_ Trace said smoothly, as he inspected the bones. _All I see are charred bones._

 _They're all over._ Kagome said seriously. _They're glowing._ She whispered as she reached her hand out to touch the victim's skull, using her index finder to trace a winding prayer that was shaped into a circle with a harsh line slashing across its center on the woman's forehead.

 _Are you feeling okay?_

Koga asked, a cold shiver running up his spine while he watched her trace invisible lines onto the victim's skull.

Kagome paused and looked up at her team who were all studying her suspiciously.

 _Do you guys really not see anything?_ She asked, horrified. _The seals are all over the place. They wrap over her entire skeleton!_

The team exchanged worried glances.

 _All we see if blackened bones, Rai._ Frisk said, softly.

Kagome stormed off to the light switch and cut the lights.

 _Do you see the glow now?_ She asked through the shared mental connection.

The team's response was immediate.

 _No._ They said in unison.

The response prompted Kagome to turn the lights back on and reproach them.

 _The prayers that are written on the seals are used in cleansing rituals. I remember them from… another life, from my past._ Kagome said urgently, as she pulled out her phone and began to take pictures.

She immediately noticed that the glowing seals did not come through in the photos, the pictures only depicted the image of a charred skeleton.

 _What is going on?_ She wondered, as her gaze flew between the photos and the actual corpse. _It's not coming through._

Frisk gently reached over and lowered the hand she had wrapped around her phone. _I believe you. Try to talk us through it. Explain what you see. I'm going to record your findings._ He said softly, as he pulled out his own phone and began to video record her.

Kagome took a deep breath and focused her attention to the top of the skeleton's head before she began speaking out loud.

"That image of the dissected circle is drawn onto her forehead." Kagome advised, getting straight into it. "However the lines are actually words of prayer. The words wrap around her bones." Kagome said, as she extended her fingers and attempted to trace them around the victim's blackened bones, taking her time as she did so.

"What do the words say?" Frisk prodded, once she had finished.

"Most of the words are in strange symbols that I've never seen before, however, a few of these symbols are used in ancient Shinto writings. They are used in cleansing rituals, to purify either the body or the soul and protect against evil." She said softly, her eyes glazing over in remembrance.

"How are these rituals performed?" Frisk continued, as he held his phone's camera over her face.

"In my religion, a priest or priestess would usually burn something to begin the purification process, like incense. However, other religions may burn sage or something similar. Afterwards, there are words or prayers that would be chanted as these symbols were painted onto the affected person's body. The prayers would then activate the seals and the seals would, in theory, cover the person's body, cleaning it and offering it protection." Kagome said, casually.

"You are a priestess." Koga whispered. "Is that why you are able to see the seals?" He asked, slowly remembering that there were things back in their shared time in the Feudal Era that only Kagome was able to see.

"Maybe." Kagome said, seriously. "That would actually make a lot of sense." She admitted, apparently remembering some of the same things that Koga just had.

"A priestess? When the hell did that happen?" Terrain questioned, as she studied her.

"My powers are derived from spiritual gifts that run in my family. I come from a long line of priests and priestesses." Kagome admitted, trying not to divulge too much information about her past, especially when being recorded.

"But, Fang is a demon." Trace cut in. "Doesn't your relationship with each other directly go against the natural order of things? He wondered. "Shouldn't you two be trying to kill each other?"

Apparently the rest of the team were also perplexed as their gazes shifted from Kagome and over to Koga.

Koga frowned.

"It's not like what you see on T.V." Koga grumbled. "Things don't really work that way anymore. Demons are just like gifted humans and are classified as such. Some are evil and some aren't. Human religions seek out the destruction of the evil ones, hence the need for priests. Plus, there aren't many full-blooded demons around anymore, anyway. Most of them have died out."

"Rai, can you try to describe all the symbols that you see?" Frisk interjected, changing the topic of discussion back to their original purpose for being there.

Thankful for the interruption, Kagome took a deep breath and tried to describe each symbol in excruciating detail. When she was done, Frisk quickly stopped recording and placed his phone back in his pocket.

 _Before we go, can anyone pick up on anything else. Anything at all?_ Kagome asked, reverting back to the shared mental connection now that the recording was over. _We only get one chance with this woman. So, even if something seems silly, we need to hear about it._

A few moments passed and the group struggled to think before they all responded in the negative.


	3. Chapter 3

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 3

Inspect listened carefully as Kagome recounted her experiences from her earlier investigative mission to Japan. Once she had finished speaking, Inspect turned the information over in her mind before sending a quick email over to Sesshomaru.

"General S. is definitely going to want to see you." She said authoritatively from her place across the desk. "You might as well head straight up to his floor after this."

"Understood." Kagome quickly said.

"I'll go ahead and get the video from Frisk in the meantime. I expect your full written report to be on my desk by tomorrow morning. If I have questions, I'll call you back in here."

"Yes, ma'am."

Inspect sighed and rubbed her forehead. Kagome noted that she looked absolutely drained.

"Permission to speak casually, ma'am?" She asked.

Inspect's eyes met hers suspiciously. "Go ahead."

Kagome braced herself.

Attempting to speak about Inspect's personal life was most likely going to be met with harsh resistance.

"Is everything alright? You look… down." She said, treading carefully.

Inspect grumbled. "I'm just… tired." The woman said hesitantly.

"We've known each other for ten years now. If something is wrong…" Kagome trailed off as Inspect frowned at her.

"How do you manage it?" Inspect said, her voice dropping low as she cut her off.

"How do I manage what?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"How do you balance having a relationship… with the demands of your job?" Inspect said, obviously struggling through her sentence.

"It's hard. I'm still trying to figure it out, especially now with Fang's new responsibilities." Kagome admitted. "We schedule time together whenever we can. It really sucks, but we both make an effort. That's all we can really do."

Inspect huffed, her appearance quickly slumping as if becoming defeated.

"You have a secretary. Why not use him to schedule off some time with Frisk?" Kagome asked, curiously. "I don't think that Frisk really cares about who books the time, as long as you're making some effort to ensure that it gets done."

"That could work." Inspect said, thoughtfully.

"You also owe me another training session soon." Kagome chirped, happily. "Have him schedule that as well."

With this Inspect laughed. "I need one soon. It's been too long since I've blown off some steam. If you don't find a way get it all out, it wears on you."

"After the ass kicking we gave each other the last time, we should probably plan to have Anatomy on hand as well." Kagome said, laughing.

The two women happily held each other's eyes for an extended moment before Inspect spoke.

"Remember that H.R. report that Frisk filed about you?" She said roughly, breaking the silence. "The one that mysteriously disappeared." She added, slyly smirking.

Kagome immediately felt her face flush. "Yes…"

"Was that true? Did you really ask Frisk for sexual information on Fang?"

Kagome sighed. "Yes, it was true. I was feeling insecure and I stupidly went to the worst possible person for help."

Inspect studied her for a moment before cautiously speaking.

"You'd consider us to be friends, wouldn't you? You know, off the clock."

"Um. Yes." Kagome stumbled, worriedly wondering where this conversation was headed.

"What if I asked you the same… about Frisk?" She grumbled, immediately diverting her eyes and focusing on her computer screen.

"What?"

"I'm asking you exactly what you think I'm asking you, Wraith. If that makes you uncomfortable, tell me now. I don't need a stupid sexual harassment claim attached to my impeccable file. I'm trusting you right now." She spat.

 _When she feels vulnerable, she gets angry._ Kagome noted.

"Why are you asking me, Inspect? That was seven years ago."

"I just wanted to spice things up a bit. He's pissed at me and I owe him something nice. I was thinking that maybe you… could help me." She muttered, scowling.

"Do you have to be so angry about it? Honestly, that's what's making me uncomfortable right now. Could you just speak to me normally without looking like you want to hurt me?"

Inspect closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sure thing, babe. Now spill. What would blow his mind?" She said, smiling widely.

"Um. I really don't remember. What I do recall is that Frisk was really big on giving instructions. I actually learned what he liked directly from him."

"He doesn't give me any instructions." Inspect said seriously.

"Probably because you don't need them." Kagome admitted. "I wasn't very experienced back then." She said, becoming slightly embarrassed.

"Wraith, don't tell me…" Inspect said, her eyes widening. "Were you a fucking virgin?!" She shouted, apparently horrified.

"Yes, I was." Kagome said, angrily. "So, I'm really not the best person to ask about all this."

"Good Lord, Rai. You gave your virginity to… to Frisk? Holy fucking shit!"

 _Why did I try to engage her in a personal conversation?!_ Kagome's mind screamed.

"You say it like it was a bad thing." Kagome muttered. "I don't regret it. We were in a serious long term relationship."

"No! No! I don't mean it like that at all." Inspect said quickly, reaching out her arm to rest her hand over Kagome's. "It's just really incredible to me, that's all. Over the years there were so many men in and out of your life, I just assumed that Frisk was one of the many."

"Hey! Now you're making me sound like a complete whore!" Kagome spat.

"I'm not! Hell, screw your brains out with whomever you want, whenever you want. You're a strong independent woman, Rai, just like me. And strong independent woman have needs. Fuck anyone that thinks there's something wrong with fulfilling those needs however you can just because you're a female. Shit, I've been with so many men at this point that I've lost count."

"Um. Thanks, I think?" Kagome retorted, completely confused.

"So, it was Frisk that opened the floodgates for you." Inspect giggled. "Good for him."

"How in the hell are you so comfortable with this? Doesn't the thought of one of Frisk's ex's make you feel insecure? Don't you want to punch me in the face right now?" Kagome growled.

 _Am I the only one that suffers from these kinds of problems?_ She thought, horrified.

"Why would I be uncomfortable? You're someone from his past. I'm someone in his present. If he wanted to be with you, then he would be." Inspect said, her voice low and perplexed. "Though it does help knowing that you had no fucking clue what you were doing. It's not hard to compete with that… even if I was insecure enough to want to." She muttered.

 _Yup, it's just me. I'm the only woman alive that tries to compete with the women from my man's past._ Her mind grumbled.

"What if he had an orgy before, with two beautiful twins?!" Kagome shouted, no longer controlling her temper.

"So what? Obviously one beautiful me is more desirable than two beautiful others, then." Inspect said calmly. "He's with me."

"Whatever." Kagome muttered. "Are we done with this stupid conversation?"

"No we're not." Inspect said, quickly. "You're plenty experienced now. So, give me some tips. Something you think he would like, damn it."

 _She's not going to let me get out of here unless I say something._ Kagome thought grumpily, once again wondering why the hell she initiated this conversation.

Kagome paused in thought for a moment before leaning over Inspect's desk and whispering something into her ear.

* * *

Koga was furiously typing away at his mission report and had almost completed it before he was interrupted by Kagome's beautiful scent, along with the scent of last night's leftovers, passing by his desk in the direction of the elevator bank.

Koga could easily guess where Kagome was headed.

As soon as their team arrived back at the base after their recent mission to Japan, Kagome was immediately summoned to Inspect's office. Obviously after updating Inspect on the information that they were able to gather, the big guy upstairs would want to hear from her too.

For some reason, like always, Sesshomaru needed to hear from Kagome directly.

Koga stared at his report for ten additional minutes before finally deciding to save his progress and get out of his seat, intending to follow her. However, as he got into the lobby, he was flagged down by Inspect.

As the department leader rushed towards him, she surprised him by pinching his cheek and smiling.

"Agent Fang, I have a mission for you." She said sweetly.

"What is it?" He asked suspiciously; her eerily good mood was off putting.

"Go track down Alpha Team's second in command. He's not answering his phone and I need him to immediately send me the video that he took when Alpha Team was in Japan."

"He's not in his office?"

"If he was, I wouldn't be asking you for your help." Inspect said sarcastically.

"Yes ma'am." Koga muttered.

Inspect immediately brightened and pinched his cheek again before taking off in the direction of her office.

 _She's in an awfully cheerful mood today._ Koga thought to himself, before he sniffed the air.

He quickly picked up on Frisk's scent and followed it over to their floor's small kitchen.

Frisk was seated at the table helping himself to a Tupperware of Kagome's leftovers. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying them as well, as he didn't even bother to look up when Koga approached him.

"Inspect wants that video." Koga grumbled.

Frisk never looked up to acknowledge Koga; he instead continued to focus his attention on his food.

"My phone is on the table. You send it."

"Not my problem." Koga said quickly, before turning to leave.

"That's an order…" Frisk shouted at Koga's turned back. "…from your superior."

"You're an ass, you know that?" Koga spat.

"I'm eating." Frisk retorted as if this explained everything.

Koga angrily snatched Frisk's phone, noting that he had fifteen missed calls and twenty unread messages. Not wanting to waste any time, he immediately looked in his phone's media folder. He quickly scrolled through a bunch of saved X-rated pictures of their department head before quickly finding the video of Kagome and emailing it over to Inspect.

Inspect immediately responded.

 _"Thanks! Heard you popped Rai's cherry! Aren't you quite the stud? Good for you tiger! Drinks at my place tonight? xoxox"_

Koga stared at the message.

"What does it mean to pop someone's cherry?" He asked, seriously.

Frisk chuckled between bites food. "It's an expression used in most English speaking countries. It means to take someone's virginity." He explained. "I'm guessing it's not one that's used in Japan?"

Koga didn't answer, he just stared at him.

"You can put my phone down now. Thanks for your help." Frisk muttered, dismissively. "And tell Rai the food really was awesome!"

When Koga made no effort to move, Frisk finally looked up at him.

"Your eyes are red." He said seriously, noticing that Koga's bonding scent was quickly filling the air. "Let me guess. I'm not allowed to compliment your woman's cooking either?" He said quickly, becoming immensely frustrated by Koga's behavior.

Koga scowled at him, but said nothing.

A few moments that felt like an eternity passed before Koga threw Frisk's phone across the kitchen and stormed off.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Frisk shouted after him.

* * *

Sesshomaru heard Kagome's detailed report and had just finished watching the video that Inspect had forwarded to him.

"This is most interesting, Kagome. I will assign those with similar powers to participate in the investigation of these occurrences going forward."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll also have Intelligence study your descriptions of the symbols that you saw. Hopefully this information will be able to assist them." Sesshomaru said, seriously. "You've done very well today."

"Thanks! Speaking of others with similar powers, do we have any on this base? I've been trying to train like you've asked me to, but I don't know what I'm doing. If someone could help me somehow, it would be greatly appreciated."

"I will certainly look into it and assign someone to you. If we have no one on this base, I will call upon someone from another. In the meantime, I want you to try to draw some of the symbols that you saw today."

"Will do!" Kagome said, happily. "Oh and, by the way, I brought you leftovers! They came out really good!" She said as she enthusiastically thrust a Tupperware in Sesshomaru's direction.

Sesshomaru eyed the plastic container suspiciously.

"No."

"Just try it." Kagome pushed.

"No." Sesshomaru said coldly, immediately turning back to his computer.

"Just one bite!" Kagome said in a huff.

"You are dismissed, agent Wraith."

Kagome frowned and hurriedly left the room, leaving the Tupperware in its place on Sesshomaru's desk.

 _Jerk._ She thought to herself, as she made a beeline for the elevator and promptly pushed the button, calling it forth.

She made her way back down to her office without issue. As soon as she sat down, she saw an email from Inspect.

 _"FYI – Fang took the rest of the day off."_

 _That's odd._ Kagome thought to herself, as she browsed through all of her messages. _He didn't say anything about it to me._

She immediately messaged Koga.

 _"Are you feeling okay? Inspect just told me you took the rest of the day off."_

As she waited for a response, she began attempting to draw some of the symbols that she saw on the victim's seals earlier that day from memory.

After about an hour, she looked through her drawings and considered herself to be done. She couldn't remember anything else.

She checked her phone realizing that Koga hadn't answered her.

 _"I'm starting to get worried. Are you sick? Where are you? Can you please respond?"_

Kagome now turned her efforts into trying to research the symbols that she drew to see if she could come up with anything. She was happy to find that all of them could be found online. All were related to some form of cleansing ritual, spanning across multiple religions. The obvious ones that she was able to identify were Shinto, Christianity, Paganism and Native American.

 _This is pretty interesting._ She thought to herself, as she took photos of her drawings and sent them over to Inspect and Sesshomaru, informing them of her findings as they were related to each symbol.

By this time, the sun had gone down.

 _Where the hell is he?_ She wondered, truly becoming worried.

She immediately launched her tracking powers, noticing from her window that they stretched across the grounds of the base in the direction of Gunbae, the base's bar.

Immediately after she did so, her phone pinged, signaling that Koga responded.

 _"I'm fine. I just want to be left alone."_

 _Something's wrong_. Kagome thought.

 _"No problem. I'm around if you want some company."_ She replied, trying not to push him.

 _Looks like we won't be spending much time together tonight._ She thought, sadly. _I wonder what the hell happened._

As she packed up for the day and exited her office, a hunch brought her over to Frisk's office. She felt dejected to find that he wasn't there.

 _If Koga's pissed off, it's usually Frisk's fault._ Her mind grumbled, as she made her way to the elevator bank.

* * *

Koga had lost track of the amount of alcohol that he had consumed over the last few hours. Because of his accelerated healing factor, his body processed the effects of the beer way too quickly. As soon as the world became blissfully fuzzy, he would begin to sober shortly thereafter.

 _Why does this bother me so much?_ He wondered to himself.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. He had been in so many relationships over the course of his long life, that he had lost count. There were women that he thought he cared deeply about and many that he didn't care about at all. But in all cases, he had never been possessive or jealous. However, Kagome, since the day that he met her so many years ago, would always be the exception. He always considered her to be his and the very thought of anyone even touching her left him on edge.

 _She gave Frisk something very precious._ He angrily thought to himself. _She'll always remember her first time, and that jerk off will always be the man that she experienced it with._

Koga truly couldn't understand what the hell Kagome ever saw in Frisk. He quickly remembered her words when he had asked her that very question more than a month ago.

 _"I was attracted to him and he made me laugh. He has a good heart."_

Koga downed yet another beer, trying to remember his own first time.

The memory of him and Ayame bumbling around in the Alpha's quarters after their mating ceremony actually served to make him laugh loudly. His primary concern that night had been _not_ hurting her. His second concern was trying to figure out how to please her.

He spectacularly failed at both.

 _It's not fair. She got to kill Ayame. Why can't I kill Frisk?_

As Koga smiled at the thought, a scent that had been lingering in the background finally approached him.

"Feeling better?" Inspect grumbled, as she came up beside him and leaned on the bar, signaling the bartender her way.

Koga didn't respond, he instead kept his eyes focused ahead of him.

"That message wasn't for you." She continued. "Frisk put two and two together when he looked at his phone after you left. I'm sorry about what you saw. I had no idea that _you_ would be going through his phone."

Koga felt himself beginning to get agitated.

"No offense, but I'd rather be alone." He growled.

"Why? You have a hot little number waiting for you at home. Why would you want to be _here_ instead?"

 _FUCK OFF!_ Koga's mind shouted

"I'm in the same boat as you, you know. You don't see me getting upset."

"Do not compare me and Wraith to you and Frisk!" Koga spat.

"Just because we don't act like you two doesn't mean we don't care about each other, Fang. Who are you to judge us?"

Koga huffed. "We have a much deeper connection with each other."

"And you're measuring this how, exactly?" Inspect retorted, angrily.

Koga just scowled at her in response and the action set Inspect into a rage.

"You don't scare me like you scare everyone else, Fang. You're the biggest hypocrite that I've ever fucking met. You have quite the reputation in this organization, and let me be clear here, it's _not_ based on any of your abilities _outside_ of the bedroom. Taking into consideration that you're pretty fucking old too, you're one giant walking STD in and of itself!" She spat. "That's what Rai is taking on of _your_ past. And unlike me, the fact that you are this agency's community bicycle that everyone has already taken a turn to ride, actually really bothers her. Yet, you're sitting here pissed off about her first time with a good guy? Grow up!" She hissed, slamming her drink down and marching away.

Koga fought back the urge to rip Inspect to shreds. He instead focused his attention on ordering much stronger drinks.

* * *

Kagome had ordered dinner from the base's kitchen service and promptly followed the meal with a long overdue trip to her bathroom's Jacuzzi tub. She dimmed the lights, poured herself a glass of wine and was enjoying the jets while she attempted to read her latest dark romance book. However, she found that every time she would get into the book, she would compulsively divert her attention over to her phone to check for a message from Koga.

She didn't know why, but she was starting to feel a little angry. She was happy to give him his space, but obviously something was wrong.

 _Why can't he just tell me what is going on?_ She thought angrily, as she checked the time.

It was almost midnight.

 _Maybe he's not coming home._

The thought worried her.

 _Did I do something wrong?_ She wondered, trying to replay the day over in her head.

For the life of her, nothing stood out.

 _Whatever. After this chapter, I'm going to bed._ She grumbled, trying to focus on the wanton sex scene that the female heroine was about to have with the werewolf that had kidnapped her.

The writer went into such descriptive detail that she had to fan herself off a few times as she read on. She was vaguely aware that her body was subconsciously shifting her position. So much so, that she soon found herself to be _accidentally_ straddling the jet.

When she finished the chapter, she threw the book roughly onto the floor and held tightly onto the edge of the tub. She closed her eyes and flung her head backwards as she imagined all the things that the werewolf had done to the heroine, being instead done to her by Koga.

As Kagome was home alone, she didn't bite back the high-pitched squeal of delight or the throaty moans that followed thereafter.

It didn't take very long for her orgasm to overtake her and she shuddered, closing her eyes as she struggled to hold on to the lip of the tub.

"Mmmmm… fuck..." She groaned, in between heated breaths.

The moment she felt herself coming back to earth, she dipped down into the water, lingering there for several seconds before coming back up again and blindly turning off the jets.

The humming sound was immediately replaced by silence.

"You certainly missed out tonight, babe." She said angrily to herself, listening to her voice echo against the walls. When she finally opened her eyes… she saw two glowing red ones staring right back at her from the entranceway of the bathroom.

"Ahhhhh!" She screamed, panicking.

Koga had apparently come into the bathroom at some point during her… alone time. From the looks of his appearance, he was either in bloodlust and was going to kill someone or he was incredibly turned on.

"How long have you been standing there?!" Kagome shouted.

The shouting seemed to spook him a bit and his head tilted to the side as he studied her.

Kagome stormed out of the tub and over to the towels, quickly wrapping herself up in one. As she did so, the overpowering stench of alcohol flooded her senses.

 _He's drunk._ Her mind cautioned.

Kagome studied him, noticing that he made no attempt to speak or move.

"You're giving me the creeps."

Koga blinked in response.

 _Oh Geez._ She thought, as she hesitantly walked over to him.

"Are you drunk?" She asked him, curiously.

Koga's eyes slowly sized her up, yet he said nothing.

Kagome sighed as she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to turn him in the direction of their bedroom, offering him support in case he needed to lean on her.

"Time for bed, big guy. From the smell of it, you've had way too much to drink tonight." She said sympathetically, thankful that he did finally come home.

Koga didn't budge. Instead, his hands wrapped around her face and he held it gently as he stared into her eyes.

"Who did you imagine was fucking you? Was it Frisk or was it Sesshomaru?" He lowly whispered. "Or maybe it was both?"

"What?" Kagome said, completely unsure if she had heard him right.

"Hell, maybe it was Inuyasha. At least you can screw him all you want in your fantasies since the asshole's not here to fawn over you like everybody else. But, you probably already made a point to bang him during your little trip to the other side." Koga continued, his voice low and filled with venom. "Who knows how many other…"

Whatever he was about to say was harshly interrupted by the mother of all slaps against the left side of his face. His head swayed roughly and his vision momentarily faded from the sheer impact of it.

"Don't you dare speak to me like I'm one of your little whores." Kagome hissed. "You will treat me with respect or I will throw your ass the fuck out of this house, physically if necessary! Do you understand me?!" She shouted, her voice a low and threatening growl as her hands balled into fists at her sides.

Koga instincts immediately flared up in warning. Kagome was staring at him as though she was waiting for an excuse with which to attack him.

"You're not worth it." He grumbled, as he turned to leave the apartment, his body slightly swaying as he did so.

"No, Koga. I am worth it. I'm worth so much more than this shit." She grumbled from her place in the bathroom. "R.O.O.T's biggest slut is trying to accuse _me_ of being one. What a fucking joke." She spat, landing the verbal blow before she heard the door to their apartment slam.


	4. Chapter 4

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 4

Koga awoke to the blinding sunshine burning its way into his eyes.

 _Where am I?_ He thought to himself, as he rubbed his head.

Sharp pain ran through his temples.

As Koga sat up, he fought the nausea that threatened to overtake him as he looked around.

 _I'm in Kagome's office?_ He wondered, as took in his surroundings. _What the hell happened?_ He thought, as he struggled to remember.

Luckily, all of yesterday's memories quickly came back to him… in great and shaming detail.

As he replayed the events that happened at home last night, he became absolutely horrified and scrambled to get to his feet.

 _There's no way that happened. That part has to be a nightmare._ He mused, as he desperately made his way back home.

When he arrived, he immediately noticed that the apartment was empty. From the lack of scent, Kagome hadn't been there for at least a few hours.

This panicked him.

Koga took off to attempt to track her scent, finding that it led to Mystic's apartment.

He hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

 _Please let that have been a fucking nightmare!_ His mind prayed to a higher power.

When the door opened, it was Quake, not Mystic, that stood before him.

As Quake noted Koga's appearance, he quickly scowled at him.

"She doesn't want to see you."

"Last night was a mistake. Please tell her." Koga begged. "I was drunk. I didn't mean any of that crap. I would never…"

"But you did." Quake said, quickly. "You. Did."

Koga didn't know what to say. He instead attempted to scan the room behind Quake hoping to catch sight of Kagome.

"You should leave now." Quake said, coldly.

"I need to talk to her. Please Quake, you of all people should understand that people sometimes do stupid things!"

Quake immediately slammed the door in Koga's face.

 _Wrong thing to say to Quake. Even though it IS true._ Koga thought to himself.

* * *

Kagome sat at her desk willing herself to focus on her work, however her mind would not do as she requested. Since last night, she had been replaying Koga's horrible words over and over again in her head. As a result, she hadn't been able to get in one moment of sleep.

 _That's how he thinks of me. The truth comes out when you're drunk. Thanks a lot, asshole._

She was thankful that she was able to make it to the office without any incident. After Koga's visit to Mystic's apartment early this morning, she thought he would attempt to somehow bombard her on her way in, however he had wisely left her alone.

When the phone on her desk rang she immediately jolted and scrambled to push her morbid thoughts away.

"Agent Wraith speaking." She said into the phone, happy that her voice didn't betray her current state of inner turmoil.

"Agent Wraith, the General would like to see you." Umi said, in a cheerful voice.

"I'll be right there." Kagome grumbled, knowing that she would have to walk by Koga's desk in order to get to the elevator bank.

She took a deep breath and attempted to channel some semblance of calmness as she left her office and made a beeline for her floor's lobby. She kept her eyes straight ahead and did not spare one look in Koga's direction as she passed his work space. However, she did hear him scramble to get to his feet the moment that she walked by him.

 _Do not engage._ Her mind commanded, as she cut through the lobby and hit the call button for the elevator.

As the elevator doors opened, she stepped in, noticing that Koga followed her.

Kagome sighed and pushed the button for the third floor. The moment the doors were about to close, she quickly left the elevator and reentered the lobby, smiling to herself when she heard the elevator doors close behind her, taking Koga to the Technology department's floor.

She could have laughed if she were in a better mood.

Kagome, now alone, quickly set off into the stairwell and began the trek up to the eighth floor.

When she finally got to Sesshomaru's lobby, she was slightly out of breath. She practically ran the entire way up the numerous flights of stairs.

Umi nodded the moment she met Kagome's eyes, signaling her approval to go into Sesshomaru's office.

When Kagome finally knocked on his door and he beckoned her to enter, she felt a much needed relief flood through her body.

Kagome quickly approached his desk and saluted.

Sesshomaru studied her for a moment, before returning the salute and waiting for her to sit down.

As usual he did not speak right away, so Kagome tried to wait patiently for him to tell her why she was there.

A few moments passed before he pushed an empty Tupperware in her direction.

"It was enjoyable." He said hesitantly, as he seriously studied her.

"You called me here… to return my container?" Kagome said, feeling herself become mentally exhausted by the ridiculousness of the meeting.

Sesshomaru ignored her question.

"You are not wearing your bonding scent today." He observed, his voice a low timbre.

Kagome frowned. "There's no need to!" She hissed, surprising both Sesshomaru and herself with the venom that was in her voice.

Sesshomaru's head tilted to the side. "What happened?" He whispered, his voice becoming dangerous.

Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe it was the need for some form of comfort, but before she could stop herself, Kagome found herself paraphrasing most of the hateful words that Koga had said to her the night before. Obviously she skipped over the part about what she had been doing before that.

Sesshomaru made no attempt to repress the hard scowl that immediately distorted his features.

"Where. Is. He.?" He growled.

"Do not involve yourself. You have no right. You're only going to make things worse."

"Do not make me ask again."

"I'm talking to you as a friend. Do not involve yourself in this. Do not betray my trust!" Kagome spat.

"Do you think so lowly of me to believe that I would stand idly by while that filth defiles you in such a way?!" Sesshomaru growled. "While he… besmirches your very honor!"

"Oh for God's sakes." Kagome huffed.

 _Sesshomaru and his obsession with honor._ Her mind thought.

"I think very highly of you. That's why I'm talking to you about this in first place, as a friend." She said, while trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "If you get involved it's only going to make things worse and you know that. Can't you just be supportive here?"

"I do not support him speaking to you in that way, Kagome."

"So what are you going to do? Try to kick his ass? What will that solve? If anyone is going to kick his ass, it's going to be me!" She shouted, angrily.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "Are you going back to your apartment tonight?"

"Probably."

"You'll do no such thing. You will sleep in my suite this evening."

"Of course. That won't make things worse at all." Kagome said, completely out of patience. "He already thinks you want to steal me away from him. So, let me just go and sleep at your place while we're fighting. That'll go over really fucking well."

"You will leave work and head to the suites. I am on the top three floors. We will have dinner and you will stay in the guest bedroom. In the early morning, we will set off to the training center to work on your powers together." He ordered. "Let that imbecile that you call a mate use his newfound free time to reflect on his atrocious actions."

"Sesshomaru..."

"I'm asking you as a... friend." He said, trying out the word. "Trust me. I can keep you safe from that incorrigible miscreant." He commanded, leaving no room for argument.

"I'll think about it." Kagome said, feeling completely off center. "But, I don't need anyone to keep me safe. Koga would never hurt me. Plus, I'm fully capable of taking care of myself. I don't need anyone's protection. This isn't Feudal Japan."

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. "You are dismissed."

As Kagome stood and picked up her Tupperware, Sesshomaru also stood so that he could walk her to the door.

"You must ensure that you wear your bonding scent, Kagome." Sesshomaru said, as he once again noted her muted scent. "If you need to go home to do so, please do. Remember that it is the only thing that is keeping that barbarian sane. You must always wear it. Is that understood?"

Kagome nodded and made to speak before she was taken into a gentle and short embrace.

The hug was over before she even realized it had begun.

Kagome stared at Sesshomaru as he walked over to open the door for her.

"Thanks." She muttered, as she hurried back out into the hallway and immediately made her way to stop home.

* * *

Koga had given up on waiting for Kagome to return to their department's lobby after thirty minutes. He had numerous calls that he needed to take and he couldn't afford to miss them.

As he spoke on the phone in his noisy area, he constantly looked over his shoulder hoping to catch sight of her.

He had just hung up from his call when he was treated to her beautiful bonding scent signaling her return. As she walked towards her office, he noticed that she carried a small travel bag with her.

 _She's not coming home tonight._

The realization made him absolutely sick and he jumped up from his desk to try to intercept her.

"Can we please talk?" He begged in a low whisper, as he came up alongside her. "I need to talk to you. Please just listen to me and then you can be as angry as you want with me." He said desperately, as he took in deep draws of her calming scent.

When she did not respond, instead keeping her eyes focused ahead, he fought the urge to take her by the arm.

"Baby, please. I love you and I know I messed up. I didn't mean any of those things. I was jealous about ..." He flustered. "You gave Frisk… your virginity." He said in a low and barely audible whisper, praying that no one would hear.

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks for a moment to ponder this information, but instead of turning to face him, she immediately shot forth, resuming her pace.

"Please talk to me." Koga once again attempted, as he caught up to her. "I made a giant mistake and I regret it. Please don't leave me." He hissed.

Kagome marched into her office and slammed the door behind her, effectively halting Koga's bumbling speech and giving him the message.

 _Leave me alone!_

* * *

A beautiful young woman awoke from her slumber to the sound of her security alarm going off.

In response to the noise, she immediately flew out of her bed and scrambled to look at her home's many security cameras, trying to identify the site of the problem.

Out of the twenty cameras that she had situated around the perimeter of her large estate, three had been taken down.

She quickly turned off the alarm and called the police.

"This is Mei Ishii. I live at 131 South Temple Street here in Tokyo and someone is trying to break into my house." She said calmly, as she quickly got dressed.

She nodded a few times as the dispatcher provided her with instructions before she curtly hung up the phone.

"Stay in a safe place my ass." She muttered, as she walked over to her living room and pulled forth her katana, easing the heavy and familiar sword out of its sheath and into the palm of her hand.

She calmed her breathing and closed her eyes, trying to focus on her surroundings in the dark as a breeze of air circled around her.

She heard the ground slightly crunching as someone crept along outside.

Mei had been expecting this.

Over the past month, she felt as though she was being watched. With no evidence and nothing to go on other than a hunch, she was never able to report it to the police. She had prepared herself for the day when her stalkers would finally confront her.

Lucky for her, she was no ordinary woman and she would certainly never become a victim.

 _That's right. Come to me. If I cut you to pieces in here, it will be listed with the police as self-defense._ She thought to herself happily, as she crouched down near the couch and focused her golden eyes on the window.

She watched on as the person outside slowly cut through her window using a small glass cutter. The person, who appeared to be a man based upon his build, slowly and quietly, made his way through the hole he had cut through her window.

Appearing to gather his bearings, the person scanned around the living room before sneaking off in the direction of her bedroom.

He didn't foresee Mei's ninja like reflexes before her sword expertly pierced through his back and through his heart.

Mei immediately flew to him, covering his mouth with her palm.

"Hush baby. It's time to go to sleep." She said softly, watching as the life faded from the man's eyes.

The man's death gave her an absolute thrill, however she didn't allow herself the time to revel in it. She moved away from the body and prepared herself just in case another attacker came her way.

She felt herself ease for a moment when a police car parked in her driveway and she quietly stalked her way around the house until she was able to get to her front door.

Mei took a deep breath and quickly put her acting skills to work. When she heard a knock on the door, she immediately began crying and shaking.

 _Poor weak me._ She thought to herself, thoroughly enjoying her performance. _I was almost attacked. A feeble woman such as myself, just had to protect herself._

She opened the door and the two officers immediately noted her frantic hysterics before they ran into her home to investigate, calling for backup.

* * *

Kagome spent the rest of the day in her office with the door closed.

She tried not to count the number of times Koga circled by to check on her throughout the day.

Through sheer force of will, she finished her outstanding mission report and dedicated the remainder of her time into researching cleansing rituals and other material that was related to the most recent attacks on the gifted.

As she was about to get up and take a break, she heard a soft knock and noticed that Frisk was standing outside, requesting permission to enter.

She immediately signaled him in.

"Close the door behind you." She ordered as he entered, watching as Frisk immediately did so.

"Here are the team's mission reports." He said softly, as he threw a stack of papers on her desk.

"Thanks." She muttered, as she quickly set to work in neatening the stack.

"Hey Rai, is everything okay?" He asked, curiously. "You've been barred up in here all day."

"Everything's fine." She grumbled, as she met his eyes.

Frisk hesitated, obviously not believing her. "Inspect caused you some trouble didn't she? She feels really bad about it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kagome said, angrily.

Frisk sighed. "Fang went through my phone yesterday. Inspect sent me a message and he saw it. The message had to do with… us." He grumbled, as he took a seat.

"He went through your fucking phone?!" She shouted. "What a God damn psycho!"

"No, it wasn't like that!" Frisk replied, frantically attempting to soothe her. "Inspect needed the video that I took of you back in Japan. I was busy, so I asked Fang to send it to her. He did, and he happened to see Inspect's message… congratulating me… for…." He trailed off, not sure how to continue. "This is all my fault and I'm sorry."

 _Congratulating him?_ She thought, exasperated. _Of course, she did. Of course, Inspect would send him a message congratulating him about something like that._ She thought, remembering the conversation she shared with the woman in her office yesterday. _These two are made for each other. They're both absolutely nuts!_

It was at this point that she noticed Koga slowly passing by her door once again, this time peeking in through the glass that served as a window into her office.

She quickly diverted her eyes and focused all of her attention on Frisk.

"It was an accident. Don't worry about it." She said, feeling depleted. "I'm more concerned with the fact that your woman would send you a message congratulating you for something like that." She huffed, as she rubbed her temples.

"She's crazy." Frisk admitted.

"That's what you love about her, isn't it? That she's crazier than you are? Which, if I may add, is a major feat within itself." Kagome spat.

"Hey now! Don't go throwing around the "L" word. It makes me feel itchy."

"Whatever. Are we good now? Do you feel better?" Kagome asked.

"Rai…" Frisk started, as she met her eyes. "I really am sorry about this. I don't know what's going on, but it's obvious that you and Fang are fighting. Fang's been a mess all day and you've been shut up in here. Inspect already tried apologizing to him yesterday and he completely blew her off. If it helps, I could try to talk to him. Maybe if I try, it would help. I _am_ his best friend."

Kagome openly gaped at him.

"I don't think he returns your feelings, Frisk." Kagome said, noting that Koga once again passed her door, this time approaching from the opposite direction.

 _He's trying to eavesdrop._ She thought, as she fought the urge to strangle someone.

"He doesn't want to admit it, but we're bros!"

"Right. Honestly, I would drop it. Every time you meddle you make things a million times worse. You're probably the last person on earth he wants to talk to about _that_." She admitted, as she watched Koga walk passed her door once again from the corner of her eye. "He apparently has a major issue with you just sitting in here talking to me."

"It makes sense. I am the guy who made you a woman." He said, smirking.

"Get the fuck out!"

Frisk erupted into a roar of laughter. "Lighten up would ya?"

Kagome immediately threw the stack of her team's reports at his head.

"GET OUT!"

Frisk shrugged and quickly stood to leave. As he did so, he noticed Koga's face pressed against the glass of Kagome's office window.

"Oh, for Christ's sake." He muttered as he opened the door and pushed his way passed Koga, before closing Kagome's door promptly behind him.

* * *

"What the fuck happened in there?" Koga growled, as he followed Frisk back to his office.

"Mind your business."

"I heard what you said in there, asshole. I'm glad this is all some kind of giant joke to you." Koga spat.

"If you heard everything, then why are you asking me what happened in there?" Frisk asked, curiously.

"Shut up!" Koga said, completely out of patience.

"You have to stop poking your nose into other people's business." Frisk chided, beginning to lose his patience now as well. "I _don't_ think any of this is funny. I don't know what happened, but it's obvious that you did something stupid. Rai's pretty angry. That's _your_ fault, not mine."

Koga crossed his arms against his chest and pouted.

"Do you want to talk about it? I am the Employee Morale Ambassador."

"No! I don't want to talk about anything with you!" Koga roared.

"Then why are you following me?"

Koga seemed to ponder this for a second before he immediately stormed off. When he finally got back to his desk, he noticed that his computer was being moved.

"What the hell is going on?" He grumbled, as he watched the techies get to work.

"You're being moved."

"What? To where?" He spat.

"To an office. There's too much chaos going on in the background when you're on your calls. So, the General has decided to move you."

 _Sesshomaru is giving me an office? Sounds like some sort of trap!_

"Where is my office going to be?" He asked, suspiciously.

"You'll be right next to department head, Inspect." The techie advised him, as he packed away Koga's electronics onto his cart.

 _All the way on the far end of this floor._ Koga realized. _Far away from everyone else._

"I thought only those with leadership roles got offices." Koga said, angrily.

"Talk to H.R. or Inspect about that. I think your title has been changed."

"What?" Koga stammered, before he quickly sped off to Inspect's office.

When he got to the door, the woman scowled at him before waving him in.

"What's this about a new title?" Koga grumbled, as he made his way over to her seat.

"I emailed you about it an hour ago. Weren't you at your seat?" She asked, innocently. "Or were you too busy stalking your boss?"

Koga growled and Inspect crossed her arms and met his eyes.

"Cat got your tongue?" She asked, her voice harsh. "I'd be careful how you address your department's leader."

Koga took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"What's the new title?" He pushed.

"Much better, agent Fang." She said, smiling. "You're now officially the organization's Lead Operative Strategist. This role is in addition to your Alpha Team responsibilities, just as it always has been, only now it is official. You'll be sitting in the office right next to mine."

Koga sighed. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, get the hell out of here." She grumbled, waving her hand dismissively.

* * *

When the sun lowered in the sky, Kagome took her cue to leave. Outside of a few bathroom breaks and some time that she had used to heat up her lunch, she had been stuck in her office all day.

Now was her chance to try to make a break for it.

She stood up and braced herself for her walk to the elevator bank.

She did a double take when she passed Koga's vacant desk. All his stuff had been moved.

 _Did he move desks?_ She wondered to herself, as she approached the elevator.

When she exited the building she noticed that Koga was sitting outside on the grass facing the entranceway of the building, obviously taking note of the people who were exiting.

Kagome sighed and kept her eyes focused ahead of her as she set off in the direction of the Master Suites, a building that was reserved only for her South Korean base's top brass.

As if on cue, she felt Koga spring up behind her on her walk.

"Can you please talk to me?" He whispered shakily, obviously picking up on where he had left off with her earlier in the day.

"Agent Fang." Came a low authoritative voice, from behind him.

It was Sesshomaru.

"Do you not have a conference call with Sage in fifteen minutes?" He said, in a low voice of warning.

Kagome felt Koga halt in his tracks and she used the opportunity to push forward.

"I have plenty of time." Koga grumbled, as he turned to address the organization's infamous leader.

Koga's instincts kicked up in warning before he was even able to meet Sesshomaru's eyes. When he finally looked upon him, Sesshomaru's glowing red eyes furiously seethed into his.

"Get back to your office and get on that call. Now." Sesshomaru warned, as a blast of hot air wrapped around them.

Koga's eyes narrowed.

 _He's looking for a fight._ He thought, as he sized Sesshomaru up and thought upon how much he would welcome the opportunity to beat the ever loving shit out of him.

Koga instead turned around and set back off in the direction of the office building, not saying a word.

* * *

Kagome entered the extravagant lobby to the Master Suite building without any trouble. The security detail that was posted outside had obviously been expecting her.

She took in her surroundings as she made her way over to the elevators, pushing the button that would take her to the top floor.

Sesshomaru had messaged her that he would meet her there and that she was to make herself comfortable. As soon as she entered onto his floor, she did just that, immediately setting out to investigate every minute detail in the place.

Sesshomaru's floor was actually three. There were large oak stairwells that descended between them. The entire place was decorated in what seemed to be priceless artwork. Everything about the place screamed luxury and money.

As she spiraled her way around the massive home, she quickly came upon what looked to be his study. She noticed three swords were on display on the wall there. All were intimately familiar to her.

 _He has the Tessaiga._ She thought to herself, remembering that he wasn't able to hold it. _Did Inuyasha will it to him after he passed?_ She wondered, as her hands traced over the sheath of the sword.

Touching the sword wasn't enough. So, she compulsively removed it from its place on the wall and removed it from its sheath, now running her hand over the dulled blade. She stayed this way for several moments, lost in sad memories of the hanyou that had once wielded it.

Now massively depressed, she replaced the sword in its sheath and returned it to its place on the wall.

 _Where to next?_ She wondered, as she left the study, taking note of the many rooms that littered the halls on this particular floor.

She set off to the door at the end of the hall, immediately entering it.

Her eyes immediately flew to the oversized painting that hung over the large intimidating bed in the center of the room.

It was a painting of her.

She was wearing a beautiful pink kimono and her hair was wrapped decoratively around her head into a large bun that was embellished with twinkling jewels and flowers. She was smiling sincerely and her face looked playful and somewhat coy. The painter was able to capture a look of absolute admiration in her eyes. She looked elegantly serene and very much in love.

 _What the hell?!_ She thought, attempting to back away from the painting and out of the room.

"What are you doing in here?" Sesshomaru's angry voice gruffed out behind her.

Kagome immediately spun around, shocked.

"I was just looking around." She muttered, her eyes once again flicking over to the painting that hung over the bed.

 _It's not of you._ Her mind chided as she once again glanced at it. _It's of Rin._

"You are in my bedroom." Sesshomaru grumbled.

 _He's pissed!_

"I'm so sorry. You told me to make myself comfortable, so I helped myself to a tour." She admitted.

Sesshomaru's eyes scanned her face before flicking over to the bedroom's painting. He said nothing as he turned and left the room, expecting her to follow.

She happily did so.

"She looked just like that on the other side." Kagome admitted, attempting to make conversation. She knew from experience that the best way to get Sesshomaru into a good mood was to remind him of Rin.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he led her to his expansive kitchen on the lowest floor.

"I have taken the initiative to order us dinner." He said lowly, as he poured out two glasses of wine, quickly handing her one.

"Uh. Thank you." She said, as she studied the kitchen that looked like it had never once been used.

"You've been in the study." Sesshomaru said, lowly.

"Yes."

"What did you touch?" He asked, angrily.

Kagome sighed. "The Tessaiga." She admitted. "I put it back though." She said, meeting his eyes.

Sesshomaru's eyebrow rose for a moment in silent question.

"I didn't touch anything else." She huffed, amazed by her ability to pick up on his nonverbal cues.

Sesshomaru briefly smiled before he set off to his apartment's A.I. system to put low classical music on in the background. Once he did so, he motioned for her to follow him to his dining room.


	5. Chapter 5

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 5

Koga stared at the picture in his living room that captured the moment that immediately followed Kagome's agreement to become his wife.

That had been the happiest moment of his life. It was his clearest and most beautiful memory of her.

 _I really messed up big time last night._ He thought sadly to himself. _She's never been so mad at me._

He thought about tracking her down after he finally left the office, but it was painfully obvious that she didn't want to speak to him and he didn't want to risk doing anything else that would set her off. He just wanted her to come home so that he could take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry.

Koga sighed, breaking his gaze away from the picture and heading over to the bathroom, hoping that a hot shower would help relax the tightly wound tension that was wrapped around his body.

As he disrobed, he noticed the book that Kagome had thrown onto the floor last night, before she had… so exquisitely taken care of herself.

He had been drunkenly watching her read and talk to herself from the doorway of the bathroom for some time last night. She was so wrapped up in her little story that she had apparently failed to notice him.

It was her idiotic comment that set him into a rage. He winced as he remembered it.

 _"You certainly missed out tonight, babe."_

Koga picked up the book and noticed that she had earmarked quite a few pages. Intrigued, he opened the book to one of these pages and began to read.

A few minutes in and he was openly gaping.

"This is worse than hard core porn!" He shouted, his voice echoing against the walls of the bathroom.

 _Is this the shit that she is openly reading about all of the damn time?_ His mind wondered, horrified.

He turned from the bathroom and set out through the house. He began to pick up the numerous books that she had strewn about, noticing that they too, all had earmarked pages. Upon investigating, he found more of the same.

 _Why is she earmarking all the sex stuff?_ He wondered, as he scanned through the pages.

A page with a brutal anal sex scene was earmarked twice.

Koga grabbed his phone and took a photo of this particular page and sent it off to Kagome with several question marks in body of the message.

 _What the fuck, Kagome?!_ _Am I not enough for you? Is this what you need to fill your head with in your free time?!_ He angrily thought to himself as he approached the large bookshelf in their living room, actually paying attention to the sheer amount of similar novels that were included within.

"They're all about werewolves." He muttered, noticing that all of the books apparently belonged to a series.

Koga took off to explore the rest of the home. When he got to their bedroom, he noticed that she had one novel on her nightstand and another had apparently fallen onto the floor near her side of the bed. As he bent down to retrieve it, he noticed there was a large black leather box under her side of the bed. It obviously needed a key to open it.

The box begged to be opened and Koga stared stupidly at it.

 _What is hiding in there?_ He wondered, intrigued.

A part of him really didn't want to know. While another part of him was dying to find out.

 _Where would the key be?_ He wondered, happy for the distraction that this very obvious mystery provided.

After fifteen minutes of searching, he wasn't able to find anything.

Frustrated, he pulled the box out and attempted to pick the lock with one of his claws, but it wasn't working.

He set off to the closet, trying to recall where Kagome kept the lock picks that she would use for her missions. He searched her tactical vest's pockets and was on top of the world when he finally found one.

With the lock pick in hand, he eyed the mystery box triumphantly as he walked back over to it.

 _Let's see what secrets you are hiding from me, my love._ Koga whispered to himself as he set to work in picking the lock.

The lock quickly turned over and the box slightly opened.

Koga immediately flipped over the lid and searched through the contents.

It was nothing more than papers, photos and a few drawings.

He immediately felt cheated in some way and furiously scanned through the items within, looking at the papers first.

The papers turned out to be print outs of her grandfather's obituary and several newspaper articles that were written about her brother and his outstanding academic achievements.

He put the papers to the side and focused his attention on the photos.

They were very obviously pictures of her family and some of the friends that she had prior to her commitment to the organization.

Koga sighed, feeling guilty.

 _She misses them so much._ He thought to himself as he scanned through the photos that she wasn't allowed to have, focusing on a photo of Kagome as a child on the lap of a man, that he assumed to be, her deceased father.

He put the pictures down and took a look at the drawings next. They looked like cartoons drawn in crayon. There was a girl in a cat suit, a boy in a dog suit…

"What in the hell is this?" He spat as he looked at the boy in the wolf suit, immediately recognizing who each of the drawn characters were supposed to be. He rifled through the drawings that obviously depicted him being in love with Kagome before turning to the drawing of him getting his ass kicked by a bird of paradise. The next drawing showed him bandaged and in Kagome's arms with a looming and angry Inuyasha threatening to beat him up with a stick in the background. The next image was a fight between Kagome and Inuyasha. The drawing ended with cat Kagome jumping into a well.

Koga could have laughed, if he didn't feel like such a jerk at the moment.

He quickly returned the contents of the box back to their original place within and snapped the lock shut. He immediately returned the box to where he found it under her side of the bed.

* * *

"Something is wrong." Sesshomaru said, watching Kagome's brows furrow as she checked her phone.

Kagome sighed. "It's nothing." She said at a loss for words, not knowing what to make of the picture that Koga had just sent her. "Apparently Koga is catching up on some reading." She muttered.

 _You're just noticing all those books now?_ She wondered to herself. _What's the big deal?_ She thought as she began to respond.

 _"You should take notes."_ She replied, becoming frustrated.

Half an hour later he responded.

 _"You want me to do all this disgusting shit to you?!"_

 _"You didn't think it was so disgusting all the times I've had my hand up your ass this past month. Maybe it's time you broadened your horizons…"_

 _"You are out of control!"_

 _"I prefer quality over quantity, babe. Unlike you."_

Kagome quickly slammed her phone down and began to focus on the taste of her food.

Sesshomaru was about to ask her what was going on before he was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

"Please excuse me." He muttered as he noted the caller.

 _Jaken?_

"What is it?" He said curtly as he answered the call.

Kagome notice the mood shift as she felt the crackle of his demonic energy flash through the room. She immediately focused in on him in response.

"Where is she now? Is she hurt?" He demanded furiously into the receiver, immediately standing up and walking over to the other side of the room.

He paused before speaking again, his voice cold and vicious.

"You are to have the best security detail follow and protect her from now on. When she makes a move, I want to be notified. Is that clear?" He spat, clenching his phone.

Kagome could hear frantic mumbling come through from the other end of the line, however she wasn't able to make out any of the words.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he grew silent.

"She is sure of this? Where is the body?"

The voice on the other end rambled for a moment before going silent and Sesshomaru immediately hung up.

"Your eyes are red." Kagome whispered as she immediately stood up and made her way over to him.

Sesshomaru scowled at her.

"Do you want me to go?" She asked softly.

"No." Sesshomaru grumbled as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were back to their golden color.

"Can you talk about it?" Kagome pushed, her eyes holding his.

"No." He said coldly as he began to walk back over to his place at the table.

Kagome instinctively grabbed his arm.

"You don't have to shut me out all of the time. You have to be able to talk to someone once in a while or you'll go crazy. I want to help you."

Sesshomaru pulled his arm free from her grasp.

"You do help me." He admitted. "Your presence and scent are very soothing."

"What happened? That sounded serious."

"I will be sending you back off to Japan tomorrow." Sesshomaru said by means of answer. "I need you to investigate a body."

"Another gifted victim?" Kagome asked curiously as she made her way back to her seat.

"Apparently it is one of the attackers. The victim managed to turn the tables on him. His body is being held at the Tokyo morgue."

"That's great!" Kagome said excitedly.

The dinner and conversation that followed afterwards was lighthearted and relaxing. Kagome felt herself grateful to Sesshomaru for providing her with a few hours of distraction before he excused himself and made his way to the upper level to set off to bed.

Her guest room was located on the bottom floor and she sluggishly made her way over to it based on the directions that he had graciously provided her with.

As she locked her door and changed for bed, she gave her phone a sideways glance. She had not checked it since she lost her temper with Koga during the earlier part of her meal.

Kagome sighed and gave into temptation as she got herself situated under her covers and turned off the light.

There was only one message.

 _"Look I know you're angry, but could you please just call me? Baby, I really, really don't want to fight. Please talk to me. I miss you so fucking much and this is killing me. Where are you?"_

 _"Let's talk tomorrow, okay?"_ She responded. _"I don't want to fight anymore either."_

 _"Where are you?"_

 _"Where were YOU last night? Oh, that's right, you wouldn't say. You wouldn't tell me anything because you needed your space. Tonight I need my space."_ She replied angrily.

 _"Okay, I deserve that. Have a goodnight, baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."_

 _"I love you, too. Goodnight."_ She replied before closing her eyes and surrendering herself into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was six o'clock in the morning when Kagome's phone rang, waking her.

"Agent Wraith speaking."

"Get ready, it is time to train. Meet me in the kitchen." Sesshomaru commanded, before quickly disconnecting the line.

 _Ugh!_ Kagome's mind grumbled and she got up and set off to her room's shower. She made quick work of washing up before she got changed into her tactical clothing, packed her bag and made her bed. Once she was done, she set forth to meet Sesshomaru.

She quickly noted that he was outfitted in the standard R.O.O.T tactical clothing as well and he had breakfast on the table waiting for her.

"What kind of training are we going to do?" She asked curiously as she wolfed down her breakfast.

"You are going to attempt to use your purification powers when fighting a demon." He said casually.

"Are you nuts?!" She sputtered. "You could be killed!"

"I'll be fine." He said aloofly. "But, will you?"

Kagome scowled at him. "I'm being serious."

"So am I. I am bringing an agent named Trinity from the Canadian base here to train you. In the meantime, it would serve you well to practice how to deal with demonic foes when on the field."

"I did fine the last time I fought a demon." Kagome said thoughtfully. "I don't think I have any problems in that area."

"You got lucky, Kagome. The panther demon you killed was running away from you and he was weak. What if you had been fighting a great daiyoki, like myself? Do you think it would have gone as smoothly?" He chided.

 _He's right._ Kagome mentally admitted.

"What if I hurt you?" She asked sadly.

"I am able to regenerate." He reminded her as he made great show of raising his once missing left arm. "As long as you don't blow me up, I should be fine."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"You need to toughen up." He stated honestly.

* * *

Koga wasn't able to get a wink of sleep. The small message war that had erupted between himself and Kagome last night was a giant blow to his already deflated ego. The small battle had led him to do something incredibly stupid, which left him feeling utterly raw, vulnerable and guilty. This coupled with the fact that he had no idea where she was all night left him tossing and turning all throughout the night.

The only thing providing him with a small amount of comfort was the fact that she had agreed to talk to him today. He thought on this as he willed time to speed forward in some way. He felt as though he was going through some form of withdrawal. He needed to feel her against him. He needed to hear her voice, telling him that they would work through it, just like she had always done in the past.

In an attempt to kill time, he geared up and set off to the training center, hoping to blow off some steam.

When he got there he became angry to find that the entire center had been reserved by General Sesshomaru and no one was allowed in.

He became murderous when he acknowledged the scent of the person who was apparently inside the training center with him.

Sneaking around, he attempted to see if he could somehow scale the large building so that he could peek inside to see what they were doing.

He instantly burst upwards and climbed along the brick, making his way to one of the high windows that adorned the roof of the recently reconstructed center.

As he peeked inside, he focused his hearing, attempting to hear any of the words that were being said below.

He watched on as Kagome attempted to shoot off a few purifying arrows at Sesshomaru while running away from him.

Sesshomaru easily dodged all but one, catching the stray arrow in his hand and immediately melting it with his poison claws.

He smiled smugly at her before he launched himself towards her at a blinding speed and attempted to claw Kagome's face off.

Koga felt a wave of warning roll through him and he nervously watched on as Kagome expertly ducked and sprung upwards, connecting an Axe kick to Sesshomaru's chest.

Kagome smiled and now focused her purification powers into her fists, charging the General at top speed.

Koga's eyes widened and his breath hitched.

As Kagome was about to strike, Sesshomaru immediately shifted his position so that he was behind her and he lifted her up into the air by her tactical vest.

He posed his hand in the air over her, very obviously so that he could spray her with his poison claws.

As if anticipating the attack, Kagome focused her holy powers through her entire body. The wave of energy caused Sesshomaru to immediately release her and back away.

He was smiling widely, very obviously enjoying the challenge that she had created.

Attempting to up the ante, he pulled his Bakusaiga from his hip, pointing the tip of the sword in her direction.

Koga watched as his demonic energy began to flood the room.

 _He's going to use its poisonous energy attack on her!_ Koga's mind screamed.

Koga immediately broke the window and climbed through.

The two combatants did not seem to notice.

 _Please make it in time!_ Koga's mind roared as he jumped from the high ceiling in an attempt to quickly get to the main sparing floor below.

"Bakusaiga!" Sesshomaru roared as his sword immediately began to glow in an electrical green light. As he was about to swing the blade of his sword down to unleash the attack, it was immediately halted by the holy arrow that crashed into its blade.

The light of the sword immediately faded.

Sesshomaru frowned and took off to the air, floating there as he looked down on Kagome.

Kagome shot off several arrows in his direction.

Sesshomaru was about to spray Kagome with his poison claws again when he suddenly halted, sniffing the air.

He raised his hand in the air at Kagome, signaling for her to pause as well.

Kagome followed Sesshomaru's gaze as his head swayed upwards. She watched as Koga fell from the sky and landed on his feet on the floor, much like a cat. As if not knowing what to do next, he stared at them, apparently stupefied.

 _Good grief._ Kagome thought to herself as she quickly noted his appearance. _He looks like a nervous wreck._ She admitted, taking pity on him.

"Let's end here." Kagome called over to Sesshomaru. "We can pick up again the next morning you are free."

Sesshomaru scowled at her for a moment, before his features smoothed over, his cold mask back in place.

"As you wish, Kagome." He said smoothly as he returned to the ground and turned to leave.

The moment he was out of sight Kagome walked over to Koga.

"Why?" She muttered as she approached him. "You broke in…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as she was immediately interrupted by a tight and welcomed hug. Koga was squeezing her so hard that she thought she might break.

"I can't breathe." She gasped, feeling as Koga's arms loosened slightly with her admission.

After a few moments of silence Koga partially pulled away from her and looked down at her.

"I am so sorry, Kagome. Please forgive me for the other night. I got insecure and I took it out on you."

Kagome huffed.

"You know, it's funny Koga. I get insecure all the time and I don't ever take it out on you. If anything, I take it out on myself. But you, you're the complete opposite. When you get insecure, you're a fucking asshole." She said angrily as she broke the hug. "This isn't the first time that you've lost your shit on me because you've gotten jealous." She spat, remembering how Koga flipped out on her and wouldn't talk to her after they had first reunited over her immature crush on Inuyasha, along with numerous other instances that had occurred over the past year.

Koga hung his head in shame.

"I've never drank as much as I did that night. And I know that's no excuse. I'm completely wrong here." He said sadly. "But, please give me another chance. Please don't give up on me." He huffed as he squeezed his eyes tightly.

Kagome fought the urge to wrap her arms around him.

"Why do you think I would give up on you? Don't get me wrong, I'm very angry with you." She admitted. "You spoke to me as if I were trash, Koga. I didn't do anything to you. It's like a part of you secretly hates me or something."

"That's ridiculous, Kagome. I am in love with you. You are my soul mate." He said desperately. "I didn't mean to speak to you in that way. I was drunk and I wanted to punish you somehow. I wanted to make you feel as horrible as I did in that moment."

"You act like a child." Kagome spat. "You're over five hundred years old. In all that time, have you never learned what it was like to be in a real relationship with someone? You don't act like that!"

"I've never felt this way about anyone before." Koga retorted, as means of excuse. "I've never had problems like these."

"Problems like, what?" Kagome said studying him.

"Insecurities about every fucking thing!" He spat. "Stuff like this never mattered with anyone else. But, it matters with _you_. I want to be _your_ everything, Kagome. I want to be your world. I want to be your past, your present and your forever." He admitted, now looking at the ground.

"What does any of this have to do with my past relationship with Frisk?" Kagome asked, confused.

"It should have been me!" Koga roared. "If fucking Inuyasha didn't get in the way, it _would have been_ me! You were always supposed to be mine. But, it never got a chance to happen, and out of all the men in this world, you chose to give something that should have been mine, to Frisk!"

"Is that what this is all about?" Kagome sputtered. "I can't turn back time, Koga. Believe me, if things turned out differently it probably would have been you, but that's the thing. It was never supposed to happen that way, Koga. We found each other again in this time for a reason and we're together now and it's been incredible ever since. I thought we were happy." She grumbled.

"I have never been so happy and so alive in my entire life Kagome." He said honestly.

Koga hesitated for a moment before once again speaking. "You told me that you were never in love with Frisk. Was that a lie?" He now said timidly as his eyes stared at the floor.

"Good Lord, Koga, I've never lied to you about anything!" She roared.

"That's not exactly true." He corrected. "You hide things because you don't want to upset me. That's just as bad, Kagome."

"Are you serious right now? The only thing I ever hid from you was that Frisk was my ex when you first started on the team. And the only reason I did so was because your bonding issues at that time put him and the rest of the team at risk. I haven't hid anything else from you, ever."

Koga met her eyes and studied them.

"I have only ever truly been in love with you, Koga. That's not a lie and it's no secret."

"But why would you…" He stammered, trying to make sense out of the conspiracies that were floating around in his head.

"Why would I offer him my 'sacred and holy virginity' if I wasn't in love with him?" She finished for him, in mock horror.

"This isn't the time for jokes." Koga growled.

Kagome stared at him and the length of the silence took its effect on him.

"Fine. Yes. Why would you give _that_ to him if you weren't in love with him?" He muttered.

"Because I cared about him and I trusted him. I don't regret it, Koga. It meant something, yes. But you act like it was such a big deal, but it really wasn't. Not as much as you're making it out to be."

Koga gaped at her.

"Wasn't it like that for you?" She asked, noting the wonder that flitted over his features.

"No. My first time was with my first mate right after our mating ceremony." He said angrily.

 _Ayame. You lost your virginity to Ayame?_ Kagome immediately stifled a laugh at the revelation.

"You told me that you were never in love with Ayame, yet you gave your virginity to her. How is that any different from what I did?"

"It meant something. I cared about her." Koga growled.

"I cared about Frisk and it also meant something, Koga. Very much so. Why is everything so magically different when it's about you?"

Koga scratched his head.

"Do you get it now?"

Koga blinked a few times. Kagome had effectively downgraded his insecure and jealous feelings in the matter of an instant.

"I get it." He muttered, finally attempting to relate and finding that he actually could, very easily. "I feel like a complete ass." He grumbled, his eyes now pleading with hers.

Kagome walked over to him and threw her arms around him, wrapping them tightly around his neck.

"You romanticize things too much. I'll never understand what goes on in your head, Koga."

"Neither do I most of the time." He said, as he tightly wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped his head down to the nape of her neck, inhaling her scent as deeply as he could.

"So back to that part about you never hiding anything from me, aside from Frisk being your ex…" Koga trailed off. "Where were you last night?" He asked seriously.

Kagome didn't miss a beat.

"So back to that part about wanting to punish me somehow to make me feel as horrible as you did in that moment…" She trailed off. "I went ahead and did the same thing. I stayed at Sesshomaru's suite last night, on my own floor, in my own private guest room." She said smoothly.

Koga immediately released his hold of her waist and pulled her arms away from his neck, backing away from her as if she were pure acid.

To say the revelation had made Koga mad would have been an understatement.

He wasn't mad. He was absolutely furious.

"Doesn't feel too good when the shoe is on the other foot, does it." She said lowly.

"You knew how I felt about that asshole... You knew that he wanted you… and you…" He growled as his bonding scent flooded the air, completely unable to finish his sentence.

"First of all, he does not want me, and second of all, it was the one place that I could go that you wouldn't be able to get to." Kagome said seriously.

"Kagome! How could you?!" Koga roared.

"Not to rehash everything, but that's a line I've been wanting to throw at you over the past two days. Look, I'm not saying what I did was okay. Two wrongs certainly don't make a right. But, I guess I was just tired of being the metaphorical punching bag all of the time. It's exhausting always having to be the level headed one all the time, the person who always has to fix everything and who doesn't ever do dumb shit. You've put me through hell and back. I guess I childishly wanted to get a dig in as well, for once." She admitted. "I'm genuinely sorry for that. It doesn't feel as good as I thought it would." She said dejectedly.

Koga closed his eyes and begged for patience.

"I love you." He growled as if trying to remind himself. "I'd do anything for you." He continued. "If this somehow makes what I did slightly forgivable to you, then so be it." He spat.

 _That was too easy_. Kagome thought to herself suspiciously.

"That's it? You forgive me?" She said, confused. "Just like that?"

"I'm fucking pissed! But, I forgive you." He growled.

"Koga…" Kagome said, smiling widely at him. "What did you do?" She asked sweetly.

"What?" Koga hissed.

"What. Did. You. Do.?"

Koga immediately diverted his attention to the ceiling.

"I lit all your werewolf books on fire last night." Koga spat.

"What? You did _what_?"

"I took them to the nature preserve and I set them on fire after your stupid comment last night." He elaborated.

"Why the _fuck_ would you do that?"

"You want a wolf, baby? You have one. The _real_ thing. I should be more than enough for you and I don't need to take any fucking notes on how to handle _MY_ woman in the bedroom." He said angrily.

"Koga…"

"I also went through the box that you have hiding under the bed." He grumbled.

"Koga! How could you?!"

Koga held up his finger, pressing it firmly against her lips to silence her.

" _You_ slept at Sesshomaru's house last night." He chided in a low voice, promptly reminding her.


	6. Chapter 6

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 6

 _He is trying to box me in here!_ Kagome's mind sputtered as she watched Koga slowly smirk at her, his fanged teeth immediately peeking out at her as he did so. _He destroyed all my books and he went through my private things! There is no way in hell that this is okay!_

Kagome made a mental note to never leave a stressed out Koga home alone for an extended period of time _ever_ again.

Kagome gently took a hold of Koga's wrist and pulled it away from her, effectively releasing his index finger from its place on her lips.

"You destroyed my stuff and invaded my privacy." She said smiling. "You think I'm going to be okay with that in exchange for your forgiveness because of where I slept last night?"

Koga's eye twitched.

"You can't be angry with me now."

"But I can. Forgiveness doesn't work that way. It's not something you trade, it's something that is supposed to come from the heart." She said huffing, as she turned away from him and began to gather her weapons that were scattered about the floor of the sparring area. When she had picked everything up, she organized her belongings, grabbed her travel bag and walked out of the training center.

"No offense, but you _could_ stand to take a few notes, and I don't mean that maliciously." She grumbled under her breath as she left.

Koga rubbed his temples. _Of course that wasn't going to go over smoothly._

* * *

"You and Fang are to return to Japan and head over to the Tokyo city morgue. General S. wants you to take a look at a body that he thinks could have belonged to a member of this defunct religious group that we're after." Inspect muttered as she looked through the mission report.

"Why isn't he sending the rest of the team out on this?"

"On the last mission, only you and Fang had valuable input. He doesn't want to waste the resources if he doesn't have to. This should be pretty simple, you'll be in and out. If you need reinforcements, just call and they'll be sent to you."

"Understood."

Inspect was about to speak again before her eyes flew over to her wall and she shook her head. Abruptly she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"I can see you, Fang! Get your ear away from the God damn wall and stop eavesdropping!"

Kagome immediately heard loud footsteps scramble away from the other side of the wall and she shook her head in disbelief.

"Good luck in sharing a wall with him. He's going to listen in every chance he gets. Fang's addicted to gossip and you're the optimal person to sit next to in order to find out information on everything that is going on in this department." Kagome grumbled.

"If I have to turn my desk around so that I'm facing this wall, Fang, I will!" Inspect shouted.

 _Unreal. He does know that Inspect has X-ray vision, doesn't he?_

"You might as well just do it now and spare yourself the trouble later."

A muffled "Hey!" resounded from the other side of the wall.

"He has incredibly sensitive hearing as well. You might actually want to move him somewhere else."

Kagome could hear Koga loudly sucking his teeth in response to her comment.

"Looks like I may have to." Inspect said tiredly. "Anyway, I'd tell you to go and brief Fang on this mission but he's apparently very well aware of your objective today."

"Right."

"Oh, and I wanted to apologize to you about what happened the other day."

Kagome held up her hand, silencing her while pointing to the wall.

"For God's sakes." Inspect grumbled as she left her seat and walked over to Kagome, leaning over her and now whispering in her ear. "I didn't know he would be going through Frisk's phone. I tried to apologize to him and somehow make it right, but I failed. I'm really sorry, Rai."

"Don't worry about it. We've gotten passed it." Kagome whispered.

"I also wanted to thank you for that little trick. It was amazing. Feel free to share any more tips you may have." She said cheerfully into her ear.

"Our little secret." Kagome whispered back.

Inspect straightened and sat back down in her seat. "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Kagome said, saluting and making her way towards the door, traveling back to her own office.

She noticed that as she passed Koga's office, his head perked up as he watched her pass.

As expected, he caught up with her mid trek.

"When do we leave?" He asked curiously as he followed Kagome into her office.

"As soon as my download completes." She said honestly as she motioned to the Kindle that was on her desk.

"How long is that going to take?" Koga asked as he eyed the Kindle suspiciously.

"Downloading seventy books is going to take some time, but luckily for us I started early this morning. Right now, I only have about thirty minutes left." She said happily as she eyed the electronic reading device. "Almost there, Lucian! We'll be together again real soon!" She squealed at it.

Koga growled lowly, remembering the name of the main character in all of Kagome's stupid smut books.

 _'Touché, Kagome.'_

Kagome growled lowly in response.

 _'In your face.'_

Koga startled. His mate's abilities in speaking wolf were getting much, much better. He found that he had to be careful about what he inadvertently said around her now. After his shock wore off, he noticed that Kagome was looking at him expectantly and he was about to apologize for destroying her stuff, when he was interrupted by Frisk entering the room.

"I heard you two were leaving without us." He said dejectedly.

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon. You will be missed, Frisk." Kagome chuckled.

"Speak for yourself." Koga grumbled.

"What are you downloading?" Frisk asked as he picked up her Kindle.

"The entire Aethelwulf series."

"Get out! Did you read the latest edition?" Frisk asked excitedly. "Lucian and Cathwulf finally hooked up! I hope he settles down soon. He needs to find a mate already."

"I know, I got that far, but I wasn't able to finish the edition." Kagome grumbled as she threw Koga a dirty look. "I'll be working on it today, actually. I agree that it's about time that Lucian settles down. I want him to start making some babies already."

"Hurry up and finish the latest so that we can talk about it!" Frisk pleaded. "Lucian probably won't get mated anytime soon. If he settles down, the series probably wouldn't be as good. That guy gets all the chicks."

"Can you blame him? The man has some serious sexual talents." Kagome said seriously.

"Hell, if he were real, I'd sleep with him." Frisk admitted.

Koga stared at Frisk in disgust.

"You read this nasty stuff?" He hissed.

"Of course I do. Who do you think turned Rai onto the series in the first place?" He said honestly.

"Training." Kagome muttered under her breath, smiling.

Frisk laughed. "Any complaints, Rai?"

"You should ask Fang." Kagome said innocently as she diverted her attention to her computer screen and scanned through her emails.

"Any complaints?" Frisk asked, directing the question to Koga.

"Get out of here!" Koga spat.

"Anyway, since I copied Fang's memories, I'm really convinced that the author is actually a wolf demon." Frisk admitted, ignoring Koga and focusing again on Kagome. "You can't say you haven't picked up on all of the clues when you think back on it."

"Actually, now that you mention it..." Kagome said, her voice full of wonder as numerous similarities from the storyline popped into her head. "The mating ceremony that Ethelwulf had with Louve was a dead giveaway!" Kagome said excitedly.

"Also think about how the lycans from the Nothwulf tribe command their wolves." He said seriously as he pointed to Koga. "It's almost identical to what he does, isn't it."

"Geez, Frisk. I think you're right about this!" Kagome huffed.

She immediately did a search on the author but was not able to find a picture. Not allowing herself to become easily dejected, she pulled up the woman's biography.

"Lovette Móðolfr has lived in Norway all of her life. All of her characters are derived from the medieval Scandinavian tales that have been passed down through many generations. She is a huge activist in the safety and preservation of wolves. Lovette appreciates her privacy and loves to read and write." Kagome said, as she now researched the author's pen name. "Lovette means 'female wolf cub' and Móðolfr means 'fearless wolf' in Scandinavian.

"This is crazy! We're solving a mystery right now!" Frisk said happily.

"I know! We are!" Kagome giggled.

"You two are the most ridiculous humans that I have ever met." Koga said angrily, frustrated that he was now being completely alienated from the conversation.

"And one of us is your mate and the other is your best friend. What does that say about you?" Kagome muttered as she disconnected her Kindle and packed up to leave.

At the comment, Frisk began hysterically laughing.

"She's still mad at you, isn't she?" He sputtered as he pointed at Koga. "You're still in the 'wolf den', aren't you?"

"What?"

"It's a new phrase that I just made up. It's similar to 'doghouse', but special just for you." Frisk answered.

Koga grumbled loudly in anger and stormed out of Kagome's office, following her out to the base's runway.

"I can't fucking stand him!" Koga hissed.

"That's too bad. He's your best friend." Kagome said quickly, brushing him off.

"He is NOT my best friend."

"Who is then?" Kagome muttered as she checked her watch.

"You are." Koga grumbled.

"That's so sweet."

"You don't consider me to be your best friend?" Koga asked.

"My best friend wouldn't destroy my stuff, try to control who I was friends with or try to make me feel badly because of his own insecurities." She said quickly. "So, no. I don't."

Koga sucked his teeth. "I thought we were passed this. We talked about all this shit earlier."

"We talked about the insecurity part earlier, but not about you thinking that it was ok to burn my books and invade my private box just because I wasn't around. Honestly, I'd rather you not forgive me at all versus trying to shamelessly justify your bad behavior by using my own bad behavior against me." She said coldly as she made her way into the small plane that was waiting for them on the runway.

As she sat down on the plane she immediately fired up her Kindle and pulled up the most recent book that she hadn't gotten the chance to finish.

"So, you're going to ignore me now?"

"Yup." She said as she scanned through the electronic pages before her, finding one of particular interest and digitally earmarking it.

Koga rubbed his temples in frustration. "I forgive you, okay? I forgive you because I love you. I'm sorry I tried to negotiate a little bit earlier today. I shouldn't have done any of that stuff last night."

"Uh huh, _Lord Koga_." Kagome said softly as she turned the page, quickly earmarking it as well.

Koga furrowed his brows as he tried to read over her shoulder.

The words written on the page almost made him blush.

"Did you really mean what you said before, that I could stand to take a few notes?" He asked, his voice a low whisper.

"You could attempt to ask what I'd like to try once in a while." She admitted.

"You're not happy with our sex life?" He asked defensively.

"I love our sex life, baby. I wouldn't trade it for anything." She admitted.

When Koga began staring at the floor as if depressed, Kagome added in a much needed stroke to his ego.

"You are _the best_ that I've ever had, Koga." She admitted, as she lovingly stroked his long bangs away from his face before resting her hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers so that she could look into his deep blue eyes. "And just so you know, when I fantasize, it is _always_ about you. It was you that I was imagining the other night, not anyone else."

The comment along with the affectionate physical contact immediately had the desired effect on him and he instantaneously brightened.

"Do you mean that?" He asked, a sly smile unabashedly stretching across his face as he nuzzled into her palm.

"I do." She said honestly, before turning her attention back to the book.

"You are the best I've ever had as well." Koga admitted.

For some reason, this revelation spooked her.

"Really? Out of the millions of partners that you've had? Surely, you can't be serious." Kagome immediately grumbled, beginning to feel agitated. "You don't have to lie to me. I really don't care if I'm not." She added as their small plane began to take off.

"Millions of partners?" Koga sputtered. "You really do think of me as some kind of male slut!" He growled at her in response.

"Your reputation doesn't leave much to the imagination, Koga. And, that's only from the past fifty years that you've worked for R.O.O.T. God knows what you were doing over the centuries before that." She mumbled, turning the page of her electronic book and refusing to meet his eyes.

"My past really bothers you." He said, as he studied her. "It hurts you."

"It does. But I don't take it out on you."

"You do. You're taking it out on me right now. You're calling me a liar because of it."

Kagome huffed, knowing that he was right.

"Look at me." He demanded.

Kagome met his eyes with a fierce stare.

"You are the best that I've ever had, Kagome. That's the truth. The orgasms I have with you are incredible. You are able to take me to another plane of existence. It's like an out of body experience every single time I am with you. I've said it since our very first time together, Kagome. You are amazing. I don't tell you that just to stroke your ego."

The words rolled over her, immediately making her feel vulnerable. As a result, she pulled her eyes away from his.

"You don't believe me." He said in realization.

"I…" She stammered. "It's just hard to. I do trust you. I just… can't see it, that's all. It's my problem, not yours." She admitted. "You've been with so many women. How can I possibly compete with all of them?" She said sadly.

"It's not a competition, and if it was, you'd win." Koga huffed. "You're so much younger than me, yet you seem to be much more experienced than I am most times. The things you do…" He trailed off. "How many partners have YOU had?"

"I don't remember." She admitted.

Koga frowned. "You're only twenty six years old. How do you not remember?"

"It's not something I've ever kept track of. Have you?"

Koga sighed.

"It's a little different Kagome. I'm much older than you."

"Okay, let's simplify it then, shall we? In the year before we found each other again, how many partners have you had?"

Koga's instincts kicked up in warning. He was walking into dangerous territory with this one.

"Tell me the truth." Kagome spat.

Koga tried to think, but wasn't able to put together a count.

"I have no idea." He answered honestly.

"Yet, I am supposed to remember?" She hissed.

"You've made your point. Forget it." He grumbled.

Several minutes passed in silence before Koga spoke again.

"There have had to be a lot for you to know all of the things that you do." He said angrily, obviously not able to let the earlier subject of discussion go.

Kagome could have pulled her hair out.

"Grrrrr. Experience does not equate to the number of partners, Koga!" She shouted, jolting him. "Quality over quantity!" She continued. "This might have never occurred to you before, which is odd because you were with Ayame for a very, very long time. But, you actually learn the most when you are in an exclusive relationship with someone. There's a comfort there that allows for shared communication and instruction. It's extremely meaningful in that way. It's from those types of scenarios that I've learned about things. Not from having an insane number of partners!" She said angrily.

"Oh."

"You're driving me crazy!" She shouted.

Koga studied her as she scowled at him.

"Ayame and I never talked about stuff like that." He admitted.

"I'm sure the sex sucked then." She spat.

"I always thought it was good, although I never had anything to compare it to back then. It was very difficult to please her." He said, remembering.

"If you never shared feedback with each other then I'm not surprised." Kagome grumbled. "Look, can we please not go there. Unlike you, I really don't want to know about any of this shit."

Koga sighed, lost in thought. "We never tried much of anything either. Neither of us took that kind of initiative. There were a few times that I tried to get her to go down on me…"

 _Does he do this shit on purpose? Like I really want to imagine him sexually with his former mate right now?_ Kagome's mind hissed.

"She had sharp teeth, so you probably lucked out." Kagome said quickly, cutting him off. "When Frisk and I would have sex, which was _at least_ once a day once we got passed the obvious barrier between us, no pun intended." She said, giggling. "We were always communicating about what felt good and what we wanted to try. It was a giant turn on. For example, 'Rai, lick right there, that's it baby, swirl your tongue around the head and suck on it. Damn girl. Mmmmm. That's the way.' Or, 'This is going to feel weird. Use our safe word if you really want me to stop. Push against me using those muscles. Yes, _those_ muscles. Keep doing that, baby. Yes, just like that. Fuck you're so tight, keep pushing, I'm going to go slow...'

"Shut up!" Koga snarled, completely enraged. "The next time I see that asshole, I'm going to fucking kill him!"

"Oh, so you _don't_ like it when it's done to you? Good to know. You might want to keep that in mind the next time you choose to fill me in on details that I don't want to hear." Kagome spat. "I don't want to picture you trying to get Ayame to go down on you!"

Koga growled at her.

Kagome growled right back.

The exchange confused him.

"Anyway!" She said angrily. "Do you see this?" She said as she pointed to the page that was left forgotten on her lap. "I want you to do this."

Koga quickly scanned the text and his eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"I like it and I want to do this with you." She admitted as she earmarked the page.

Koga gaped at her.

"You earmark all the things you like?"

"Yes, I've tried a few things that I've wanted to do with you, but there are so many more and a lot of them are things that _you_ would need to do… to me."

"Kagome…" Koga hesitated, feeling uncomfortable.

"I've tried to play out one of your fantasies and I'd love to play out many more, is it so wrong for you to attempt to try out one of mine?" She asked curiously, her eyes leaving the book and meeting his.

"There's nothing wrong with that. I just don't know… how to do that." He admitted. "That's going to hurt you."

Kagome shot him a sideways glance. "Trust me, I won't break." She sighed. "You're really into vanilla sex, aren't you?" She said softly, the discovery slightly altering her world in some strange way.

"Vanilla sex?" Koga repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means standard sex. The usual positions and stuff."

 _This changes everything I've ever assumed about him._ She thought to herself excitedly. _There's so much that I can actually teach him!_

"Define standard sex? What do you mean by the usual positions?" He rambled before panicking. "Vanilla sex. Safe words. Just what kind of stuff are you into?!" He questioned nervously.

"I'm assigning you homework for training purposes." Kagome said seriously, ignoring all of his questions.

"Training?"

"A wise sexual sage once said to me, 'Study the sacred texts of Aethelwulf and you shall cum.'" Kagome said before erupting into a hysterical fit of laughter.

"Wait. What? I'm not joining your stupid book club!"

"Oh come on, Koga. Would it really be so bad?"

"I'm not reading those corny werewolf books!"

"Fine. Just read the earmarked pages, then. Although, if you actually read the storyline, it makes the sex parts so much better since you'd experience the feelings that the characters have for one another." She said seriously.

"Kagome…"

Kagome, feeling inspired, quickly released her seatbelt and hopped into his lap, straddling him.

Without another word, she traced his lips sensuously with her tongue before dropping her lips down over his, parting them while she dragged her tongue over his sharp bottom teeth. Once she had memorized every sharp ridge and edge, she pushed her tongue further, joining his in a familiar dance.

As usual, Koga's body responded to her much faster than his mind, which was still struggling to understand their recent conversation. His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly to him, anchoring her against him.

"I want you." Kagome whispered desperately into his mouth.

As if to reinforce her words, the scent of her arousal slammed into his senses. This coupled with her bonding scent, instantly began to wear away at his self control.

"Show me." He grumbled as he pushed her slightly away from him, so that he could memorize her face.

Kagome smiled seductively at him. "I swear I could cum just from listening to you talk to me sometimes." She said in a low and needy drawl, as she began to roll her hips, dragging her clothed core against his hidden throbbing erection.

 _I could say the same thing to you._ Koga thought as her words coasted over him.

Kagome's eyes closed as she began to grind against him, her hands blindly, yet expertly, worked to release the fly of his pants. She opened her eyes only for a moment to glance at her watch, obviously checking to see how much time they both had.

Koga chuckled. "Always responsible." He growled as his hands slid down and over her body, watching as it instantly reacted. He stopped his trail at the clasp to her pants, quickly undoing it and sliding the material down as far as he could over her ass.

Kagome immediately lifted from his lap and into the aisle. Now standing she shimmied out of her pants and underwear, her eyes never leaving his.

"We have about ten minutes." She whispered as her hands flew to his pants and attempted to tug them off of him. Koga lifted his ass from the seat to assist in her efforts.

"Don't worry, I'll make them count." He said lowly, his red eyes burning into hers.

Kagome smiled and turned around, giving him a lovely show of her tight round ass. She slowly backed up and lowered herself into his lap.

Koga froze. "You want me to do that… now?" He sputtered.

"Huh?" Kagome said confused as she looked at him from over her shoulder. "Oh! No, we need much more time for that." She said, barely stifling a laugh.

Before Koga could question what she meant, he felt her position him at her entrance and his hands instinctively grabbed onto her hips and brought her down on him hard.

A shared groan escaped them and they struggled to catch their breath.

"You're always so ready for me." Koga mumbled into her back, as he reveled in the feel of her slick heat, his heavy and possessive bonding scent engulfing her.

Kagome leaned forward, using the headrest of the seat in front of her for support, before she began to slam her body down against him.

Koga's right hand slid around her hips and his fingers immediately found the tight bud that he was so intimately familiar with. He grazed his fingers against it, teasing her, before he applied hard pressure to it with his palm.

The move had the desired effect and Kagome instantly groaned, her body tightening harshly around him.

Her raw physical response was quickly bringing Koga to the edge.

Koga hissed and tried to restrain himself in some way, attempting to prolong their encounter and not lose control.

A few minutes in, and her frantic thrusting and muted moans eroded his composure and he threw all caution to the wind.

Koga lifted from his seat, pushing Kagome into the seat in front of her. She immediately wrapped her arms around the headrest just in time before Koga wrapped his arms under her legs and began to slam into her.

Koga felt the electricity of Kagome's powers quickly ghost over him and they were immediately connected in a far more intimate way than how they had been physically up until now.

He could feel her pleasure coasting through him, blending in with his own.

"Fuck, Kagome. You feel amazing." He growled as he threw his head back and embraced the feel of her.

After a few more heavy thrusts, their shared orgasm exploded around them, soaring them both high into the sky, to a place that only existed for them.

However, Koga couldn't stop.

He exploded into her again and again, losing himself in everything that was her while desperately attempting to fill her with everything that he had.

Several moments passed before he succumbed to exhaustion, his head dropping over her right shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath.

"God I love you." He whispered, devotedly into her ear as he placed a tender kiss on her shoulder.

"I love you, too." She admitted happily as she began to slowly unwrap her arms from the seat in front of her.

Koga helped her down before he struggled to redress himself. After he slid his underwear and pants back on, he plopped back down into his seat and leaned over to grab the clothes that Kagome had cast aside in the aisle, handing them to her.

"Thanks." She whispered as she shakily began to force her clothes back on.

Koga laughed as he watched her.

"Do you need some help?"

"I could actually take a nap right now." She said chuckling. "I'm overly relaxed at the moment which is making dressing very difficult."

The minute she was clothed, he pulled her back down into his lap and he rested his head against her chest, momentarily closing his eyes as he deeply took in her scent.

"I've missed you the last two days. Very much."

"I've missed you too, but for much longer than two days." She whispered softly to him as she began to run her nails against his scalp.

"Prepare for landing!" Came the pilot's advisement over the plane's speakers, jolting them.

"I know. I now understand how you feel running around all day." Koga whispered as he placed her back into her seat and put her seatbelt on.

"And I understand how you used to feel waiting around all the time. It really sucks." She admitted. "I took you for granted."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I really did, without even realizing it. I always thought that I appreciated you a great deal, but now, I appreciate the time that I have with you so much more."

Koga chuckled. "It's a little different. You're still very busy, baby. Back then I was completely bored. You have all the shit going on with leading the team all the time… and pacifying our great leader ALL DAY long." He laughed. "You have plenty to do to keep yourself occupied, while I didn't. It really was much rougher on me."

"I wish you would have said something. I would have given you more responsibilities."

"I didn't want additional responsibilities." He admitted. "I needed to be forced to remember what I was capable of in order to get my shit together."

"Well, I'm glad that you were forced to step up. You seem so much happier now." She said lovingly as she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. "If you're happier, then I'm happier, too. I'm very proud of you."

* * *

"What is taking them so long to shut down for the day?" Kagome wondered as she stared at the back entrance of the Tokyo city morgue from her binoculars.

"Maybe it's been a busy day?" Koga said nonchalantly as he studied his nails, forcing them to extend and retract at will. "Tokyo is a much more populated place than Tsuruoka city was. They're obviously going to be much busier."

"We've been here for hours." Kagome grumbled, now picking up her phone to text Inspect and advise her of their stagnant status.

"We should just call Ginta. He could probably get us in very easily." Koga advised.

"Then we'd be pulling in local law enforcement and it would blow our cover." Kagome chided as she watched the head mortician finally exit the building and lock the door behind him.

"Finally!" Koga said while rolling his eyes.

"Alright. Trace isn't here so this is going to be a bit more difficult. I'm really relying on that nose of yours. Let me know if you sense anyone in there at any time."

"Yup."

"We're also going to need a lot more time, the body we're looking for doesn't have a name just yet, so we're going to have to go through the paperwork and try to figure out which ice box he's in." Kagome said seriously.

"No problem. I love paperwork." Koga muttered as he exited the car and snuck his way over to the door.

Kagome also left the car and took her place nearby in the shadows, expertly masking her presence.

Koga sniffed the air and nodded in her direction.

Kagome wasted no time in making her way to the door and picking the lock, giving them access into the building.

They blindly walked down the hallway attempting to find an area in which records were kept.

It took ten minutes for them to find the obvious main area that was located near the front of the building.

Kagome quickly looked at the giant clipboard that was sitting at the main desk, scanning through all the unidentified male arrivals marked with yesterday's date.

"There are two bodies we have to look at." She whispered, quickly noting down the numbers that were associated with each. "Can you smell your way to the autopsy suite?"

Koga immediately nodded. "Formaldehyde is easy to pick up on. That shit stinks." He said as he took off in an eastward direction, with Kagome following closely behind him.

It wasn't long before the couple closed in on the large double doors that would lead them to the morgue's collection of bodies. Koga didn't hesitate to enter and as he did, Kagome flicked on the lights.

"We're looking for numbers twenty four and eight." She whispered.

Koga scanned the boxes that littered the great expanse of the wall to their right. "Eight is right here." He said lowly as he approached the box.

Kagome readied her phone while he pulled out the drawer.

A young man that looked like he had somehow been ripped in two greeted them.

"Must have been a car accident." Koga whispered as he noted the airbag burns that were etched into the victim's face.

"Sheesh. That's pretty bad." Kagome said sadly. "The poor family." She said sadly as she began to take pictures, just in case.

Twenty detailed pictures later and she lowered her phone.

Koga closed the drawer and moved on, looking for number twenty four.

"Twenty four is over here." Kagome whispered, pointing to a box on the far side of the adjacent wall.

Koga stalked over to it and Kagome once again readied her camera.

When Koga opened this box, he frowned. "This is the male scent that I picked up on in Mount Haguro." He whispered.

Kagome lowered her phone.

"His hand is glowing." She whispered, attempting to photograph it, quickly realizing that, much like the last time, the glow wasn't coming through in the picture.

"Just his hand?" Koga whispered as he studied the hand. "He has a tattoo of that symbol on it."

"What color is it?"

"It's black." Koga said softly as his instincts tingled in some form of warning.

"For me, it is glowing in a low blue light." Kagome whispered over to him. "Help me take pictures."

Koga fetched his phone from his pocket and joined Kagome in taking numerous photos of the body.

"That should do it." Kagome muttered as she put her phone away. "He's been stabbed through the chest." Koga whispered as he studied the small cut that lined up with the man's heart.

Kagome studied the wound carefully. "Are you able to sense anything else about this guy? Anything at all?"

Koga shook his head. "All I have is his scent blanketed in formaldehyde. But something feels off in here and it's giving me the creeps." He admitted.

"I sense it too." She whispered as her eyes fell to the glowing tattoo. She stared at it for a moment before reaching her hand out to trace it. The moment her fingers made contact, her entire body began to brightly glow in a pale blue light.

"What is happening?" Koga whispered, as he looked upon her.

"I'm not sure." Kagome admitted.

"Should you be doing that?" Koga whispered, quickly becoming worried.

"It doesn't feel bad in any way. It actually feels warm and… peaceful." She whispered as she tilted her head back. "It reminds me of… the other side." She said lowly as she closed her eyes.

"You have the gift. You are also one of the chosen." A low voice whispered near her ear.

Kagome immediately opened her eyes and looked around.

"Did you just say something?" She whispered as she glanced at Koga.

"No."

"I definitely heard that. It wasn't my imagination." She said pensively as she looked around.

"Maybe you can tell me why I am still stuck here?" The voice whispered again, this time from behind her. "This is not the promised nirvana."

Kagome immediately withdrew her fingers from the dead man's hand and spun around, the action immediately quashing the light blue glow.

Nobody was behind her.

"Somebody's in here." She hissed in a low whisper, her eyes wide in panic.

Koga immediately stiffened and sniffed the air. "There's nobody here."

"Tell me that you heard that just now." She said, her voice on edge.

"Heard what?"

"The man's voice."

"If someone was speaking, I'd definitely hear it." He promised.

The couple stood in the room for several minutes, straining their senses.

Kagome sighed and cautiously reached out to touch the deceased man's hand again.

"Don't." Koga whispered, this time angrily. "Don't do that again."

"I have to try. I'm here to find out information. Many lives depend on it." She said earnestly.

Koga sucked his teeth, but said nothing when she once again made contact.

Upon touching the man's tattoo, she was once again engulfed in the warm blue glow.

"Did The Order send you here for me?" The ghostly voice once again called out to her.

"The Order?" Kagome said, looking around.

Koga frowned at her, feeling a prickle make its way up his spine.

"If you are not familiar with The Order then you are not one of us." The voice said sadly. "You cannot help me."

"I want to help you." She said, willing her voice to be calm. "That's why I'm here."

"Your companion is the cause of the corruption." The voice now said, angrily. "You are aware of this?"

"The corruption?"

The voice seemed to sigh. "Ignorance is not a sin. Allow enlightenment into your heart, it will empower you."

"Sure. Please enlighten me then." Kagome said softly.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Koga spat, no longer controlling the tone of his voice. His instincts were lowly calling out to him in warning.

"It is those such as him that have corrupted the purity of life in this world; roughly corroding it and defiling it." The voice said angrily. "You have the gift. Your blood has remained untainted. Only the pure can destroy the unclean and restore the world as it was originally intended."

"Who are those such as him?" Kagome asked.

"Wraith!" Koga shouted.

"The unclean. Demons." The voice whispered disgustedly.

"How can I destroy the unclean?" Kagome continued.

"The power lives within you. You must be taught." The voice said seriously.

"Where can I find someone that can teach me? How can I restore this world?" Kagome questioned, playing along.

"Wraith!" Koga growled. "Answer me!"

"We specialize in finding you." The voice said softly.

"Is there somewhere I can go to be found?"

"Pray." The voice whispered compassionately.

"I'm not sure I understand…" Kagome sputtered, before Koga roughly grabbed her hand, immediately severing the physical connection between her and the body that she had been touching.

"What are you doing?" She hissed as the warm glow faded from her body.

Koga didn't answer her. He tightened his grip on her wrist and quickly closed the drawer. Once the drawer clicked into place, he spun around and pulled her straight out of the autopsy suite.

"Fang stop." Kagome demanded in a raised whisper.

"We're leaving." He spat.

"Stop. That's an order."

"Write me up then." Koga grumbled as he practically dragged her down the hallway that lead back to the car.

"There's a spirit in there. He needs help." Kagome pleaded.

"I don't care."

Kagome twisted her arm, effectively breaking out of Koga's grasp.

"He needs help damn it. He's stuck here."

Koga growled and slowly approached her.

"I need you to trust me." He whispered. "My body feels like it's on fire. Something was slowly happening in there. It's dangerous."

Kagome studied him, quickly remembering what had happened the last time that she didn't trust his instincts.

She had died.

"Okay." She whispered. "Let's go." She said softly.

Koga nodded and continued down the hallway with Kagome right on his heels.

The moment they exited the building, Kagome snapped the door's lock back into place and crept along the shadows of the perimeter, slowly making her way back to the car as Koga did the same.

The couple entered the car in complete silence. Once they were both inside, Kagome did not hesitate to peel out and take off into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 7

"What the hell happened in there?" Koga said, as Kagome drifted their car along a curve in her attempt to get them back to their pick up site.

"The spirit of that man was in that room. He said he was stuck. He also asked me if The Order sent me there to help him." Kagome said quickly as she forced the car to accelerate.

"The Order? Is that the name of the group that's killing the gifted?" Koga wondered.

"I don't know. You didn't give me a chance to find much out." Kagome said softly. "But don't worry." She said quickly as Koga was about to scowl at her. "I trust in your instincts. If you say it's too dangerous, then it is." She continued.

The words had the intended affect and Koga calmed.

"He knew that you were a demon, too." Kagome said. "He said that your kind was responsible for the corruption of life in this world." She said, remembering.

"If he knew I was a demon, then he either was a demon himself or he was someone like you." Koga said thoughtfully. "He definitely didn't smell like a demon though. His scent was human."

"He definitely wasn't a demon. If he were, I would have been able to sense it." Kagome confirmed.

"So then he's a priest or something?"

"I'd bet all the money that I have on it. His soul was pure. It felt beautiful."

"If he's a part of that group, then he's a murderer, Kagome."

"I know. If he were evil then his soul would feel tainted in some way, but it didn't. I know it doesn't make much sense, but I know what I felt."

"Your powers are amazing." Koga said honestly as he studied her from his place in the passenger seat.

Kagome smiled at the compliment. "So are yours, baby. When are you going to release into a big bad wolf for me again?" She said, smiling at the memory.

Koga smirked. "I can right now if you want me to."

"No thanks. We kind of need the car to be in one piece so that we can get back." She said laughing.

"Maybe we can head over to the nature preserve when we get home." He drawled. "You can dress up as Little Red Riding Hood and I can devour you."

Kagome's laughter quickly became hysterical.

"Don't you have to dress up like a grandma before that?" She said between her gasps for air.

"You're right. That wouldn't be sexy at all." Koga admitted as he too, began to laugh.

As the laughter died down, Kagome's hand crossed the space between them and pulled his hand into hers, squeezing it tightly.

"I wonder who killed that guy." Koga muttered absently as he stroked her knuckles with his thumb, before bringing her fingers to his mouth and kissing them.

"The person he was trying to kill turned the tables on him." Kagome said quickly.

"Do we have any information on who that person was?"

Kagome thought on this for a moment.

"It wasn't included in the mission brief." She said slowly as she remembered Sesshomaru's secret phone conversation from the night before and his obvious fury after he disconnected the call. "I think it was a woman."

 _Sesshomaru knows her._ She thought to herself.

"What makes you say that?" Koga asked curiously.

"Just a hunch." Kagome said simply. "I'm going to check our Intel when we get back to see if I can confirm it."

* * *

As Koga expected, Sesshomaru was waiting for them on the runway as their small plane returned to the base. He was still wearing his tactical clothing from his earlier training session with Kagome. He seemed disinterested as usual as he waited, his clawed hands running their way through the length of his loose and flowing white hair.

Koga fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"He looks like he just conquered a continent." He muttered as he stared at him.

Kagome laughed as she looked over his shoulder and out the window.

"He does."

"One day, I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp."

"Here we go." Kagome muttered as she rose up out of her seat.

"I am. He needs to be knocked down from that pedestal of his. It's in everyone's best interest if he'd learn a little humility once in a while." Koga grumbled as he stood and followed Kagome out of the plane.

The moment they exited, Koga watched as Sesshomaru offered Kagome his hand to help her down the stairs that led from the plane onto the runway. As always, Kagome accepted. The action always seemed to please Sesshomaru much more than it should.

Koga stifled a low growl.

"Agent Wraith, I hope that you have been able to uncover something interesting." Sesshomaru said smoothly as he addressed… only her.

"I did. You're never going to believe this…" She started, before she was interrupted by Sesshomaru's raised finger.

"In my office." He commanded, as he began to walk away from her and over to the office building.

"Yes, sir." She said seriously as she quickly made to follow him.

 _What the fuck was the reason for coming all the way out here if you are only able to talk to her in your damn office? If that's the case, then I'm coming too, damn it._ Koga thought to himself angrily.

As if picking up on his thoughts, Sesshomaru called out to him over his shoulder.

"You are dismissed, agent Fang."

 _Son of a bitch!_ Koga mentally hissed.

"No problem. I'll just wait for MY mate in your waiting room then, before WE go home together."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but Koga didn't miss the slightest change in the man's energy.

 _Apparently our great leader is a bit on edge lately._ Koga thought, openly smirking as he remembered Sesshomaru's obvious desire to rip him to shreds the day prior. _Apparently I get under his skin._

The journey to Sesshomaru's floor was made in silence. As all three of them entered the floor, Koga immediately flew into one of the seats in the waiting room.

"Hello Fang!" Umi said happily. "I almost thought I wouldn't see you today."

"I do enjoy our daily visits, Umi." Koga said sweetly. "Tell me, how did last night's date go?"

Umi beamed at him. "It went well…"

 _Koga is up here way too often._ Kagome thought to herself. _At least he made a friend to talk to while he waits._ She thought, smiling as she listened to what she could of Umi's ramblings about her date, before the woman fell out of earshot.

Sesshomaru wasted no time in opening his door for her. When she entered the room, he slammed it loudly behind him.

"You seem to be a bit on edge lately." Kagome said softly.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he gracefully glided across the room and to his seat, motioning for her to take the one across from him.

"What are your findings?" He asked her seriously once she had sat down.

Kagome took a deep breath and walked through all the events of her mission in great detail. She replayed everything several times in her head to ensure that she didn't miss anything. When she was done, she looked at him expectantly.

Sesshomaru appeared to be lost in thought.

"Who did this guy try to attack?" Kagome asked softly.

"One of the gifted." He answered calmly.

"I understand that. But, who? Do we have a name? Do we know anything about the victim's abilities? Was it a person that we had tried to recruit before?" Kagome rambled. "If we knew who the victim was, we might be able to establish some kind of connection as to how this guy found her."

"We do not know anything about the victim." Sesshomaru said coldly, while he turned and busied himself with his emails.

 _I think that you do._

"Yesterday you helped me and you asked me to trust you." She said cautiously. "You also said that we were friends."

Sesshomaru did not look away from his computer.

"A moment of indiscretion on my part." He said coldly.

"You don't mean that." Kagome said knowingly. "I just want you to trust me. Please tell me what's going on." She whispered as she stared at him.

Sesshomaru's eyes flew over to her and narrowed.

"Why can't you just talk to me? Something's very obviously up." She pushed.

"I'm afraid that if I were to speak candidly with you, I would then have to remove you from the field or wipe your memories, Kagome. That is not something I want to have to do."

"This sounds pretty familiar." Kagome said as she smiled at him.

The action puzzled him.

"We've already been through this before. There's a way around all that. You must remember."

"It would serve no purpose to disclose information, only to immediately hide it from you once again."

"It would allow you to speak with me and get whatever is bothering you off your chest. That in and of itself may help to make you feel a little better before we have to quash the memory from my mind."

Sesshomaru seemed to ponder this.

"I don't want to put you though anything unnecessarily." He said seriously as his beautiful golden eyes studied hers.

"Rin was right. You really are a nice guy once I've gotten a chance to get to know you." She said smiling.

"What?"

"She said that a very long time ago. We thought she was bat shit crazy." Kagome said chuckling.

Sesshomaru's face softened. "She was."

"Tell me what is bothering you and I'll have Mystic come and meet me here so that she can immediately suppress the memory and set up some triggers to protect it."

Sesshomaru seemed to struggle for a moment.

"Kagome…"

"Just trust me. I'm doing this for my friend. Let me help you."

Sesshomaru sighed and slowly looked around before meeting her eyes.

"This group tried to go after one of my…relatives." He whispered.

"Well, that explains why this guy was taken out so efficiently." Kagome said seriously.

Sesshomaru immediately smiled.

As it wasn't one of his usual evil smiles, the genuine gesture actually disorientated her for a moment.

"Is your relative a dog demon as well?" Kagome asked.

"No, she is a human. A gifted one. She is able to control the wind and she is expertly skilled in the use of the katana." He said proudly.

"Guess it runs in the family." Kagome said smiling. "So how is she related to you?"

"She is a fourth generation great granddaughter."

"What?!" Kagome shouted.

Sesshomaru frowned at her. "Lower your voice."

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting this. You had kids?"

"Rin and I had many." Sesshomaru said seriously as he studied her. "Unfortunately hanyous and the generations of human offspring that follow, do not live very long by my standards. Rin and I have buried all of our children and the two generations of grandchildren that followed." He admitted.

"I'm so sorry." Kagome said sadly as her hand reached out to cover his. "To have to bury all of your children…" She trailed off.

Usually, in the past, each time that Kagome had touched him, he roughly pushed her away. However this time, he allowed the comfort that the innocent gesture provided.

He made no attempt to move her hand.

"Do you have a relationship with this granddaughter of yours?"

"None of my existing descendants know who I am."

"That's terrible."

"It is necessary for their safety, Kagome."

"But you keep tabs on them?"

"Yes, on all of them."

"So, you believe that this group will continue to go after her?"

"If they have already made one attempt, I doubt that there won't be another."

"You can't risk assigning R.O.O.T to investigate her without potentially opening her linage up for possible discovery." Kagome said thoughtfully.

"That is correct."

"Why do you care if R.O.O.T knows that she is related to you?"

"After recent events, I think it would be obvious to you. There is no guarantee that dirty agents will not infiltrate our organization again, even if all precautionary measures are met. Additionally, if we were attacked, our data can be stolen much like we have stolen data from our enemies." He said as a light frown traced into his smooth features. "My descendants would most certainly become targets, much like my granddaughter is now."

"I can try to protect her." Kagome said before she was able to stop herself.

Sesshomaru scoffed. "How would you do that?"

"I have some time off coming my way. I could use it to shadow her. This religious group has powers that are similar to mine, I might be able to protect her from them in some way."

"It is not only her that I am worried about. Her younger brother is around her often and he is gifted as well. If this group hasn't already marked him, they will soon."

Kagome sucked her teeth. "I can't be in two places at one time."

"No you can't." Sesshomaru chided.

"You have quite a few gifted members of your family."

"Obviously so." Sesshomaru replied. "The gifted are those who are endowed with powers based on generations of demonic and human pairings. Over time, the mixing of blood has forced the human race to evolve in some way. The result is what we know today to be gifted individuals."

"Really? How do you know that? Does the rest of the world know _this_?" Kagome sputtered. "Do WE here at R.O.O.T know _this_?"

"I know because I have witnessed it over the centuries. It is obvious." He said aloofly. "The human world is not aware of the origins of these powers. Many people would laugh at the mere mention of the word 'demon' these days. Demons are beings that only serve as villains in stories now. They aren't something that are considered to be real outside of some major religions." Sesshomaru advised. "Science is not able to establish a connection to something that it cannot prove exists. However, Anatomy seems to be well on the path to this discovery. If his current research is any indication, that is." Sesshomaru said knowingly.

"So my powers come from an ancestry of demon and human blood?"

"No, Kagome. You are very different. Your powers are not based on your DNA. I have thoroughly researched your lineage and your blood is untainted. Your powers truly are gifts bestowed to you from a higher power." Sesshomaru said softly.

"That's incredible." Kagome whispered as she gaped at him. "This sounds a lot like what that man's spirit was telling me in the Tokyo morgue."

"From your conversation with the dead man's spirit, The Order, if that's what they truly are called, seems to have the same knowledge about the background of gifted beings." Sesshomaru said. "It sounds like they want to destroy all evolved humans who they consider to be tainted or 'unnatural'."

A few moments passed in silence before Kagome steered the conversation back over to Sesshomaru.

"Are you doing anything behind the scenes to protect your granddaughter?"

"I have a private security team shadowing her and her brother. They are one of the best and they are not affiliated in any way with R.O.O.T."

"That helps."

"However my granddaughter has very obviously become suspicious after last night's attack and has already attempted to kill one of her guards this morning."

"Christ. She sounds just like you." Kagome admitted. "It's not going to be easy to protect her unless she knows what's going on."

"You now understand the dilemma I find myself in?"

"I do." Kagome admitted lost in thought, before she brightened. "You were going to have an agent named Trinity come to this base to train me. Remember?"

"Yes."

"Maybe Trinity and I can go and protect your grandkids for a time. There would be two of us with holy powers, one for each grandchild. That would solve the problem and it would allow us to train with each other."

Sesshomaru thought on this.

"You wouldn't have to tell Trinity anything. Assign him into my care and I'll give him orders as soon as we get to Japan. I will not go into any detail about your relation to the two people that we are protecting and the mission would be completely off the books. I'd be marked down as being on vacation and Trinity would be marked down as training me during that time. When he returns, you can wipe his memories along with mine."

"Most interesting." Sesshomaru said curiously. "However there is one very big problem." He said seriously, his voice dropping down to a whisper.

"What's that?"

"Your mate would find your 'vacation' with another male agent to be most suspicious and would not willingly accept it."

"Oh…. Maybe I could tell him I was going alone?"

"You just so happened to randomly decide that you _must_ immediately go on vacation _alone_?" Sesshomaru said sarcastically.

"People do it all the time!"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

Kagome sighed. "You're right. It's too sudden. He would definitely know that something was up. We've been trying to plan a vacation together over the last few weeks. I wouldn't just pick up one day and decide to go away on vacation without him."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Additionally, if I marked you down as being on a solo mission to pacify him, it would then leave an official paper trail which we do not want."

Kagome sighed. "Looks like I'm just going to have to take him with me on 'vacation', then."

"What? No."

"There's no other option."

"Koga _will_ be immediately suspicious if you were on an alleged 'vacation' with him and you continued to disappear for long periods of time throughout it. He _will_ follow you and if he finds you, especially if you so happen to be alone with Trinity, who happens to be a _male_ agent, there will be significant damages.

"We need to tell him what's going on then!"

"I do NOT want that miscreant aware of my private affairs!" Sesshomaru shouted, pulling his hand away from hers.

"Geez." Kagome huffed. "I'm just trying to figure out a way to help, that's all."

"I fear that there is no simple solution." Sesshomaru growled.

"There's always a way. We just have to figure it out." Kagome said confidently as she worried at her nails.

 _Think simply, Kagome. How can we do this?_ She asked herself.

"We could send Koga off on a solo mission." Sesshomaru said a little too quickly.

Kagome frowned.

"We could do that. Or, you could just assign me, Koga and Trinity to protect your family – off the books, of course. When it's all over, wipe out our memories.

Sesshomaru hesitated.

"It's the simplest way and we could use the extra hand on guard detail. You may not like Koga…"

"An understatement."

"…but you do know that he's completely competent and very much capable. He's an outstanding choice to send in to assist us."

* * *

 _What is taking so long in there?_ Koga angrily wondered to himself. _At this rate, the recounting of the mission is going to take longer than the actual mission itself!_ He mentally exaggerated.

"Do you want a magazine to read?" Umi offered from her desk.

"No, thank you." Koga replied politely.

He found himself grateful the moment he finally caught Kagome's scent in the air.

 _It's about time!_

As Kagome approached him she smiled at him. "Ready to go home?" She said sweetly.

"I've been ready for the past hour." Koga muttered as he looked her over. "How did everything go?"

"It went fine." She said dismissively as she took his hand and walked him to the elevators. "We're going to be going on vacation soon." She whispered as she hit the button to call the elevator.

"I know. I can't wait. We just have to finalize the dates with Inspect." Koga said casually as they made their way into the elevator.

"No, we're leaving soon. Probably in the next day or two." Kagome whispered.

Koga stilled, lost in thought. "Is this a surprise, baby?" He said hopefully.

"You could say that. But, not in the way that you're thinking." She admitted as they exited the elevator and crossed the main lobby, in the direction of the base's grounds.

"Something tells me I'm not going to be happy about this." Koga admitted as they quickly made their way to their apartment.

"I'll fill you in when we get inside." Kagome promised as they entered their own building's elevator.

The moment the door to their apartment closed behind them, Koga bombarded her with questions.

"Where are we going? Is this something work related? Is it just us? Why are you calling it a vacation?" He rambled.

Kagome took a deep breath and cupped his face in her hands, silencing him.

"It's an off the books mission. We're saying that we're going on vacation as a cover, but we're really headed back to Japan. There will be one additional agent assigned to this mission and he will meet us in Japan as he is coming from another base."

"Well, this totally sucks! When you said vacation, you got my hopes up. What a let down!"

"I'm sorry, baby. But get used to calling it a vacation for now."

"What's the mission?"

"I can't tell you that until we land in Japan."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do, but this is work. My orders are to brief you in Japan. You know how it is."

"Fine." Koga grumbled as he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I get it."

"Good." Kagome said in a sweet voice. "Now that we're finally alone and have some time…" She started as she kicked her shoes off and once again took him by the hand, leading him straight to their bedroom. "…I want to try that thing we talked about."

"What a buzz kill. Where's the spontaneity in that? We're planning sex now?"

"Right now, yes, we are." She responded, as she began to undress.

"It feels so forced though." Koga complained, hating the way his body was immediately responding just to the sight of her flesh.

"It's not forced." She said softly as she stalked her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tip toes as she leaned up to kiss him.

The kiss was soft and gentle, almost teasing in a way and Koga felt himself sink into it, allowing her tongue full access.

She kissed him in this way, her tongue teasing his, for quite some time. The moment his hips began to instinctively seek hers, she deepened it, into something hot and heated, leaving him breathless and hungry for more.

"Does it still feel forced?" She asked him huskily as her hands left his neck and began to sweep down his body, before rolling over the head of his hardened erection. "You seem to be very willing." She said in a low and seductive voice as his cock twitched against her touch.

Koga growled lowly in his throat as he took her mouth with his, making short work of removing his clothes between their desperate kisses. The moment he was finally free of the cursed clothing, he pressed her body tightly against his, immediately reveling in the feel of her naked flesh against him.

"I can never get enough of you." He whispered as his tongue trailed a slick wet line across her jaw and down her neck.

Kagome groaned and tilted her head, giving him full access to the skin he was so hungrily tasting. Her arms wrapped around his waist and slowly worked their way down and over his round and muscled ass as she ground her hips against him. As the need became too great, Kagome released him and dropped to her knees. She intentionally coasted her heavy breaths over the head of his cock before taking him slowing into her mouth.

Koga's voice rumbled in his throat, his hands immediately wrapping themselves into her hair as his head fell backwards.

Kagome made a point to run her tongue over the head of his hot and throbbing manhood before slowly sliding him further into her throat. When she had taken him to the hilt, she slowly slid him back outside her mouth, making sure that she dragged her tongue along the entire length of him before fully releasing him and starting the process over again.

"Fuck. Don't stop." Koga begged as he tried to thrust inside of her.

Kagome raised her hands to his hips, pushing against them to halt his attempts to set the pace between them.

"Be patient, _Lord Koga_." She whispered after she pulled him from her mouth, immediately running her tongue over him before sliding him slowly back in again.

"If you keep calling me that…" Koga groaned as his bonding scent flooded into the air. "…I'm going to cum Kagome." Koga said in between ragged breaths, his body tightening as he once again attempted to thrust into her mouth.

Kagome kept her hands pressed against his hips and she hummed against him, the vibrations sent a wave of pleasure directly into his spine and Koga tensed, tightening his hold on her hair.

As Kagome released him once again she looked up at him. "Does this please you, _Lord Koga_?" She whispered submissively as she rolled the tip of his dick around her lips while she held his eyes.

Koga growled loudly as his eyes squeezed shut and his lips curled back, exposing the full length of his extended fangs in response.

 _He's right there._ Kagome realized as she immediately slammed the full length of him into her wet mouth and down her throat. She sucked on him hard, clenching her throat tightly around him while she groaned. The combination of the pressure and the vibrations rewarded her with the thick and sweet taste of his seed and she frantically worked to swallow the sheer amount of it without choking.

Koga moaned loudly as he came. He quickly found that Kagome had released her hold on his hips and was allowing him to wildly pump into her, something he was grateful for as he released into her a second time before stilling.

As he released his tight hold on her hair, she in turn released her mouth's tight hold on his cock, sliding him gently from her mouth before licking and kissing the tip.

When she stood up, he wrapped his arms around her and dropped his head to her shoulder.

"I thought you wanted to do the other thing." He said softly as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Oh we are, but after you take a break. This way you'll last longer."

"Huh?" He sputtered.

"Don't think, baby. Just relax right now and enjoy the orgasm." She said as she gently led him over to the bed and laid him down, taking a temporary place on top of him as she laid her head over his heart.

"I love it when you call me Lord Koga." He said as soon as his breathing calmed.

"I know you do, _Lord Koga_."

Koga chuckled.

"What else do you love, _Lord Koga_?" Kagome whispered as she began to lightly grind her core against him.

"I love being inside you, baby. There's no greater feeling in this world." He whispered. "And I love it when you go down on me." He said as he concentrated on the slick heat that she was gently coasting over his slowly rising manhood.

"What else? Tell me." She pushed, as her breathing began to hitch.

"I love it when you are inside of me as well." He admitted. "And when you tell me that you belong to me…" He trailed off.

"I do belong to you, _Lord Koga_. I am yours." She purred, noticing how quickly Koga had once again become as hard as a diamond.

"You drive me crazy." He growled as he slowly began to thrust against her, priding himself on his body's ability and willingness to forever please her.

Kagome's hand extended outwards and blindly reached for the drawer of her nightstand, quickly grabbing a hold of a small plastic bottle. Once the bottle was in her hand, she took a hold of his arm and slid down his body and off of the bed, attempting to pull him down with her.

Koga hesitated for a moment before following her.

"Get on your knees behind me, baby." She whispered as she opened the bottle.

Koga did as he was told.

As soon as he was in position, Kagome poured the liquid contents of the bottle into her hand and turned to face him. She worked the liquid over in her hand, obviously warming it, before applying a thin coat of the slick substance to his erection.

"You've never done this before, right?" She whispered.

Koga tensed before answering. "I told you that I haven't."

"No, you just told me you didn't know how. That could mean you have done it but felt that you didn't know what you were doing." She said softly before leaning over to him and placing a tender kiss against his lips.

Koga just stared at her with wide red eyes, setting off silent alarm bells in Kagome's head.

"If this makes you uncomfortable, I need you to tell me. I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to do. It's not the end of the world if we _never_ do this. I won't get upset about it. I promise. I need you to talk to me, Koga."

Koga nodded. "I want to try." He said nervously as he diverted his eyes away from hers.

Kagome studied him.

 _He looks like he's going to have a heart attack._

Kagome began to work her hand over his slick cock, touching him in all the ways that she knew he liked. As she did so, she cupped his face with her dry hand, pulling it to hers and taking his mouth. She kissed him slowly and passionately until she thought she would break, pausing only when his hips began to finally thrust against her hand.

 _He's relaxed a bit._ She realized, relieved.

She leaned over to his ear and whispered in the most sensual voice that she could muster.

"This is how this is going to work, _Lord Koga_. I am going to turn around and I am going to help you put this…" She said as her slickened finger rolled around the tip of his cock. "…inside of me." She whispered through hitched breaths as she nibbled on his earlobe. "This will be slow. You're really big and I am going to need time so that I can adjust." She said as she began to suck on his earlobe, noticing that Koga's thrusts against her hand had now become more demanding.

 _This is finally starting to turn him on._

"I will tell you when it's okay to push. You are not to do anything more than that unless I specifically tell you that it's okay. Do you understand?"

"Yes, baby." Koga growled out, his voice low and needy.

Kagome shifted and took his mouth once again before turning away from him, positioning herself on her knees as her torso leaned over the mattress of their bed for support. When she was situated, she coyly looked over her shoulder at him, springing him into action.

"Straddle my legs." Kagome instructed as she slightly bent down to open for him. The moment that Koga did so, she reached behind her and positioned Koga against the tight and puckered skin that laid in between the round cheeks of her ass. She wrapped her hand around the head of his cock and began to push him slowly inside of her, while she worked to push backwards against him.

"You can touch me while I do this." She whispered, sensing Koga tense up behind her. "Unless you just want to watch."

In a moment she could feel Koga's clawed hands begin to sweep over her, wrapping around her as they began to expertly tease and massage over her breasts as she pushed backwards against him while he did so.

"Slowly push." She instructed, happy that Koga did not hesitate to do so and she heard him lowly moan as he did.

"Stop now. Hold it there." She whispered as her breath hitched.

A few minutes passed before she requested that he push again and they repeated the process.

The pressure that was slowly filling Kagome along with the tingles that Koga was drawing against her breasts were making her mindless. She almost didn't realize how much time had passed before she felt her ass make contact with his groin.

"You can pump now." She said as she paused to catch her breath. "Start slow."

Koga hands immediately dropped to her hips and he slowly began to pull away from her before returning his entire length back inside of her. As he did so, Kagome could hear his breathing becoming ragged and desperate.

"Faster." Kagome said, almost pleading.

Koga happily obliged, his hips picking up the pace.

"Kagome..." He groaned. "You're so hot and tight. You're squeezing the hell out of me." He said, through clenched teeth before he lowly groaned.

"Touch me." Kagome begged as she grabbed his right hand away from its place on her hip and pushed it down against her clit.

The action caused her to moan and immediately shudder, her insides harshly tightening in response.

"Kagome…" Koga groaned as his left hand's hold tightened almost painfully on her hip.

As Koga's right hand began to expertly work her over, Kagome leaned backwards into him, forcing him to support her weight as she began to match his thrusts, increasing the power behind them.

The room was filled with the smacking sounds of their shared thrusts, their heavy breathing and their groans.

"Harder." Kagome mewled as her left arm wrapped around his neck and her right hand began to roam over her breasts.

Koga's left arm wrapped tightly around her waist and he pounded furiously into her from behind. As usual, as they were about to cum, Kagome's spiritual powers immediately engulfed them, binding them together. As a result, Koga's pleasure ran through her body as hers jointly ran through his. The couple immediately surrendered themselves to the shared ecstasy that was washing over them in waves. The exact moment that Koga fell over the edge, Kagome was happily pulled along with him. The rawness and explosiveness of their orgasm had them calling out one another's names as they shuddered roughly against each other in response.

If it hadn't been for Koga holding her up, Kagome swore that she would have collapsed. When she finally felt herself come back down to reality, she realized that Koga was placing gentle kisses against her neck as he nuzzled into her.

"Did you enjoy it?" Kagome mumbled next to his ear.

"That was incredible." He admitted as he cuddled against her. "Did you?"

"I truly did. You are amazing." She whispered, her throaty voice instantly giving him the chills.

Kagome channeled the small amount of strength that she had left to gently separate from him and pull him in the direction of the bathroom.

"Make sure that you pee before you wash up." She instructed. "Otherwise, you could get an infection."

"The queen of anal sex." Koga teased. "Is there anything else I should know, your majesty?"

"No, that's pretty much it for today." She joked as she turned on the overhead jets of their shower and began to thoroughly wash herself.

It wasn't long before Koga joined her.

"I can feel it when you cum." He said as he pulled her against him. "And I don't mean just physically. I can feel exactly how what I do to you, feels to you."

"Same on my end." Kagome replied. "That little trick started right after you brought me back from the other side."

Koga nodded.

"Your powers really are amazing." He whispered.

Kagome smiled. "They've only ever worked in this way with you, since we've become spiritually connected, that is."

"We're connected physically, too." Koga said seriously. "I'm bound to you by both body and scent. I have been since our first time together, I'm sure of it."

"Actually now that you mention it, I think that was the night that my soul inadvertently bound itself to yours."

"With all the shit that we've been through with my bonding issues over this past year, I've spent a lot of time thinking about this. Mating is a primal act amongst wolf demons and occurs with an instantaneous exchange of acceptance between one another, which is signified by a special scent. To be able to share that act with a human in and of itself is impossible. I was probably only ever able to take you as my mate because of the way that you were able to bind yourself spiritually to me. It's the only thing that makes any kind of sense."

"It wasn't something that I did intentionally. It just sort of happened on its own. I didn't even realize that my spirit claimed you until much later."

"It was instinct." Koga clarified. "Your spirit acted instinctually."

"While your body did as well." Kagome said smiling at the realization. "You are all things physical and grounding, Koga. You are my Earth." She said happily.

"And you are all things spiritual and uplifting, you are my Heaven, baby." Koga said earnestly.

Kagome smiled. "A perfect balance then…." She trailed off, before frowning.

Koga immediately picked up on the drastic shift of her energy.

"What's the matter?" He asked curiously.

Kagome didn't answer him, she instead immediately bolted from the shower, grabbed a towel and ran towards their living room.

"What the fuck?" Koga growled as he turned off the water and went after her, grabbing his own towel along the way.

He found her leaning over a sheet of paper at their kitchen table. She appeared to be furiously drawing something.

She had drawn a thick and angry line across the center of the paper and was staring at it as if it had some profound meaning.

"Are you feeling okay?" Koga whispered, becoming worried.

"This line, in most ancient writings, reflects the balance between two monumental things." She hissed. "Life…" She said as she tapped on the space above the line. "…and death." She continued, as she moved her index finger to the area below the line. "Heaven and earth. Spirituality and physicality."

"And this is important, why?"

"This symbol…" She said quickly as she drew a bold circle on a new piece of paper. "…represents a cycle or completion, in most ancient writings."

Koga scanned each of the drawings and felt a chill run up his spine as realization slammed into him.

"When you put them together, they make up the symbol that that crazy religious group uses!"

Kagome nodded, pushing the papers away and pulling out a clean sheet, immediately drawing the circle with the dissecting line through it.

"The cycle of life and death. The passing between earth and heaven. The physical and the spiritual. " She said shakily.

"What does all of this mean?"

"I'm not sure, but it gives me something to work with in my research now." She said as she ran over to her phone and quickly dialed Sesshomaru.

"Can't you tell him this tomorrow?" Koga grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He can pass this information over to Sage. His group would be able to start researching this immediately. I don't want to wait until I get into the office tomorrow." She admitted. "It's important."

"Fine." Koga said as he prayed for patience.


	8. Chapter 8

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 8

Koga awoke to warm rays of the dawn gently making their way through his bedroom windows. His mate was cuddled in his arms, her breathing slow and steady against his chest as she lay on her side. His strong arm was wrapped around her, holding her closely to him underneath a mountain of blankets.

Not wanting to wake her, he studied her, watching the rise and fall of her chest and the way that her eyes would sway back and forth behind her closed lids.

 _You are so beautiful_. He thought to himself as he paced a soft kiss against her forehead.

Koga swore that he could spend the rest of eternity just like this, with her in his arms, her bonding scent on her skin and her heartbeat against his own.

"I love you." He whispered lowly before he was able to stop himself.

Kagome smiled and cuddled into him. "I love you, too." She said groggily.

 _Shit._

"I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry." Koga whispered against her hair.

"Don't worry about it." She said softly against his chest, her eyes once again closing. "It's not so bad waking up in _Lord Koga's_ arms every morning."

Koga laughed heartily. "Let me know when you're ready to get up _Lady Kagome_ and I'll make us breakfast."

Kagome immediately laughed at the title. "What if I told you that I never wanted to get up again and that I wanted to stay just like this?"

"Then we'd both starve to death."

"True."

"So what's the deal today? Are we just going to go in and submit our vacation requests?"

"Sesshomaru is going to confirm when he wants us to leave. Once he does, we can submit the request to Inspect together."

"If we're leaving soon, she's probably going to deny the request. We're not giving her a ton of notice."

"I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out." Kagome said knowingly.

"Is this going to really count as vacation time?" Koga said quickly.

"Probably."

"What? That's not fair!"

"I'm sure our great leader will make it up to us." Kagome retorted.

"He'll make it up to both or us, or just to you?"

"Both." She stressed. "And when this is all over, I'm going to ask him for a favor."

"What's that?" Koga asked curiously.

"I'm going to ask if we can see my family, off the books."

"There's no way he's going to allow that."

"He might." Kagome said seriously. "I miss them, and I want my mother to meet you. I really think she'd like you. It's important to me."

Koga sighed. "I'm not the kind of guy that women bring home to meet their mothers, Kagome."

"You're my mate, Koga. I consider you to be my husband, even though we'd never be able to have a real wedding ceremony since we technically don't exist." Kagome said sadly. "But, there's no way in hell that I'm not going to introduce my husband to my mother… somehow."

"Speaking of ceremonies, we could actually have a mating ceremony one day. It's a far cry from a human wedding, but it is a ceremony to celebrate our union."

"Would I have to dress up in furs?" Kagome asked as she laughed. "Would we be allowed to exchange rings?"

"Actually, I don't even know. I haven't been to one in centuries. Once we all went into hiding, so many things have changed in our culture. I'd have to ask Ginta how everything works now."

"Find out how the wolf demons would feel about humans attending the ceremony as well. I know how secretive they are about their existence. I hope they'd let our human friends attend."

"They might. I was the most powerful leader in history." Koga said conceitedly. "They may make an exception if Lord Koga, makes a special request." He said in a deep and authoritative voice.

* * *

As Koga and Kagome made their way to get to the office building, the couple noticed that Sesshomaru appeared to be patrolling the grounds.

If Koga had to guess, he had woken up bright and early just so that he could intercept his mate before she arrived at work.

Koga suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

 _This is starting to become overly ridiculous. Talking to her all day long isn't enough? Now he has to wait for her to get to the office as well?_ He thought to himself as he watched Sesshomaru pick up on their scents and cross the grounds to meet them.

As soon as Sesshomaru was within a few feet of them, he beckoned Kagome over to him and he dropped his head down low so that he could whisper something in her ear.

As Koga studied him, he watched as Sesshomaru's nostrils slightly flared, signifying that he was taking in her scent as he spoke.

Koga felt his blood boil.

As if reading his current mood, Sesshomaru's golden eyes flicked over to him and narrowed. In another moment he was off, making his way inside of the building.

"What the hell does he want now?" Koga snarled as he made his way to Kagome's side.

"We need to leave tonight." She whispered. "We're putting in for a week. If we need to take longer, we'll have to ask for an extension."

"Fine." Koga grumbled as he and his mate started to make their way into the building and to their floor. "Should we tell Inspect now?"

"Yup. Let's do it first thing." She said as she led the way to Inspect's office.

As they closed in on the far side of their department's floor, they both noticed that Koga's office was completely empty.

"Did you move again?" Kagome asked seriously.

"No." Koga said angrily.

"When's the last time you checked your emails?"

Koga scowled as he pulled out his phone, his finger working quickly to scan through his messages.

As if on cue his phone pinged.

"They moved me." He growled.

"Who moved you?"

"Inspect did. She just gave me a head's up that she moved my office because she wasn't able to continue sharing a wall with me." He said angrily.

"Where did she put you?"

"On the other side of the floor, by the elevator banks."

"Well that's good! We'll be closer together, then!"

"I guess you're right. But, none of the offices on that side were free…" He trailed off.

Kagome picked up on his line of thought. "Except for one." She mumbled, as her eyes met his compassionately.

"The one right next door to Frisk!" He shouted. "That better not be where she put me!" He growled. "I can't be that close to him all day. I'd rather die!" Koga spat.

"Shhhh! Calm down. Like I said, we'll be closer together now."

Koga wasn't having it.

"I'm going to give that woman a piece of my mind!" He growled. "She did this on purpose!"

"Babe, no offense, but you had a big role to play in this. I told you that your eavesdropping addiction was going to get you in trouble one day. She deals with top secret information all day; she can't have you privy to all that stuff." She said softly. "It also doesn't help that she can see you pressing your ear up against the wall."

Koga looked at her as though she had ten heads.

"This is not my fault!"

Kagome sighed. "It really is, though."

"Whose side are you on?!"

"I'm on yours, baby. But, you really didn't leave her with much of a choice."

"I can't believe this." Koga grumbled.

"Take a deep breath. Let's try to get through our vacation request without incident, please."

"This isn't right! She knows I can't stand Frisk!"

Kagome took a deep breath and prayed for patience. She knew her mate and she knew that there was no way he was going to let this go. The realization forced her to employ another tactic.

"You'll be sitting next to the Employee Moral Ambassador now." She whispered, attempting to somehow make it sound tantalizing.

"So fucking what?!"

"Do you know what that means?" She said in a low mysterious whisper.

Koga took the bait.

"What does it mean?" He asked curiously as his voice also lowered into a whisper to match hers.

"It means that you're going to be able to hear all of the private and personal conversations that employees have in there. You're going to get a front row seat to all of the gossip that spans across this entire base. You'll know everything, babe. And I mean _everything_." She stressed.

Koga seemed to ponder this for a moment before a slow smirk stretched across his face.

"Trust me. Sitting next to Frisk won't be bad at all. Between his usual antics and all of the people that line up outside of his office just to bitch everyday, you'll have an endless stream of entertainment."

"You may be right." Koga whispered excitedly.

"I'm always right." She said, smiling as she pulled him along to Inspect's office. "Now let's focus on what we came here to do."

* * *

"Starting tonight?" Inspect hissed as she studied the two agents that were seated before her. "Are you two crazy?"

"Things have been slow on the field lately. It really was a last minute decision. I apologize for the abruptness of it all, I really do." Kagome said honestly.

"Rai, you're not giving me any time at all here. What if something comes up? What about coverage of your current assignments?"

"Frisk has Alpha Team covered, he can easily step in as leader at any time. He's done it countless times before when I've been away on solo missions. As for the rest of my projects, I can continue to research what I can of this religious group and pick through the data download from H.A.V.O.C in my spare time. It won't be a problem."

Inspect sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"What about you, Fang? Your schedule is a lot more complicated. I rely on you to go over all of this department's missions and many of the top ranking agents contact you to go over strategy. How am I to explain that you're gone for a week without giving anyone in this organization any notice?"

"I'm sure that R.O.O.T isn't going to come to a grinding halt just because I'm not here for a week. Everyone in this agency has been able to function this far without me. I've only been doing all this additional work for the past month. Trust me, everyone will live." He grumbled.

This answer earned him an elbow to the ribs from Kagome, who was frowning at him.

"Wasn't that a beautiful speech, Fang? I'm glad to hear that everyone can live without you. The knowledge warms my heart, truly." She said angrily. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny this request. There's just not enough notice."

"You owe us." Koga said condescendingly. "You've caused us quite a bit of trouble recently."

"You're right, I do. But, I'm still not approving this request."

"Honestly ma'am. I've done quite a bit for this agency over the years. I'm asking for just a small bit of consideration here. Just a tiny bit." Kagome pleaded.

Inspect's scowl softened for a moment as she studied her.

"I'd love to Rai. But, you're not the problem right now. He is." She said as she pointed to Koga. "All of the departments have come to rely heavily on him. He can't just disappear without giving us some time to prepare for his absence."

"I'm sure you could find a way to work around it. You are the head of this department and you didn't get that position because it was handed to you, you got it because you were smart. I know you can figure something out."

"Rai…"

"No disrespect ma'am, but, you do kind of owe me, too. Frisk wouldn't be an active member of Alpha Team right now if I didn't work something out with Sesshomaru after he had stolen his memories."

"I am forever grateful for that."

"So, please help us. This is really important. We haven't had any real time alone together in almost a year. I know this is sudden, but this is something that we really want. Please help."

"Oh, hell!" Inspect spat as she tightly closed her eyes in frustration. "Fine. Go. I'll figure something out."

"You are _the best_!" Kagome said happily as she leaned over the desk and hugged her.

"We're even now." She grumbled as she affectionately hugged her back.

"Yup. We're square."

"However you…" She hissed as she pointed to Koga. "You owe me one now."

"How do you figure that? You're obviously doing this for Wraith, not for me."

"I'm doing this for you because of Wraith." She corrected. "Go enjoy your vacation."

When Koga did not respond, Kagome once again elbowed him in the ribs.

"Thank you ma'am." He grumbled.

"Yes, thank you so much, Inspect!" Kagome said happily.

"I'll have your falsified documents expedited so that you'll have them by this afternoon." Inspect said casually as she turned her attention to her computer screen. "You two are dismissed."

* * *

"So, a trip back to Tokyo?" Frisk said in wonder as he drove his teammates over to the airport. "I thought you guys wanted to go somewhere tropical?"

"We did." Koga grumbled from the passenger seat of Frisk's car.

"So why did you change your mind?"

"Tokyo is home." Kagome supplied as she shot the back of Koga's headrest a dirty look from her place in the back of the car.

"Sorry, Rai. I know it's nice to pretend that you're actually back home in some way, but the Bahamas are beautiful right now. You two should have gone there, like you originally wanted to."

Kagome punched the back of Koga's seat when she heard him suck his teeth.

"Maybe next time." Kagome muttered, as she tried to fight off the depressing mood that was threatening to drown her within its murky depths.

"I'm sure you'll have fun. Don't let Fang get you down." Frisk said happily as he pulled off the exit that would lead them to the airport.

"Yup. Tons of fun." Kagome replied with forced happiness as she smoothed over the fabric of her jeans.

 _Why did I offer this?_ She wondered. _Now that I think about it, this entire week is really going to suck."_

"What do you plan on doing all week?" Frisk asked curiously.

"Yea, Wraith. What are we planning on doing all week?" Koga asked sarcastically.

The words rewarded Koga's chair with another punch.

"I haven't really planned anything. I wanted it to be spontaneous." She supplied, frowning. "I was going to think of a few things on the flight there, while Fang reads."

"You… read?" Frisk said as he turned his attention to Koga. The revelation seemed to mystify him.

"Training." Koga mumbled.

The response set Frisk off into a fit of laughter. "Aethelwulf?"

Koga immediately scowled at him.

Frisk sighed. "Have fun reading about your Scandinavian wolf demon cousins, who, by the way, are much cooler and sexier than you."

"I seriously doubt that." Koga said smugly.

"It's a fact, knucklehead. I have your life's story right here." He said as he tapped his forehead. "I'm telling you, you couldn't lay one finger on any one of them. Those motherfuckers are comparable to goddamn Vikings. While you were trying to figure out a way to prevent starvation, those guys were out conquering most of Europe."

"If the stories are even real, that is." Kagome chimed in.

"I was the alpha leader of all of Japan!" Koga hissed. "The entire country was at my command!"

"Yea, from the 1500s through the 1700s you had control of what is now known as the country of Japan." He countered. "Japan is a very small country. On the map, it kind of looks like a cute little island."

"Are you looking for an ass kicking, Frisk?!" Koga seethed.

Frisk continued on, unperturbed.

"And it's not like you controlled the entire country. You just controlled all of the wolf demons and the wolves. You didn't control the population of humans. You're not in any of the history books. It's like you didn't even exist to the rest of the world." Frisk rambled as he finally pulled up to the airport.

Before Koga's fist could make contact with Frisk's face, Kagome shot through the two men's seats, and caught it with her two hands.

"Can we please not fight?! Please!"

Koga growled loudly as his red eyes bored into Frisk.

Frisk growled several times in response, before yipping and smiling.

Whatever it was that Frisk said had Koga angrily kicking open his door and exiting the car.

"What the hell did you say? Do you have to cause problems, Frisk?"

"I just told him to have a wonderful vacation." Frisk said smiling. "Hope you have one as well, Rai."

Kagome rubbed her temples before also exiting the car to assist Koga in getting their luggage.

As she made her way over to him, she realized Koga had both of their suitcases out of the trunk and was hurriedly making his way into the airport, forcing her to scramble to catch up.

"You really shouldn't let him get to you." She said once she caught up to him. "He loves getting a reaction from you, you should know this by now."

Koga said nothing as he marched over to check in their luggage, their fake identifications in hand.

"Please tell me that you're not mad at _me_." Kagome pushed. "Why am I in trouble?"

"You should stick up for me more." He grumbled as he passed his suitcase and their falsified documents over to the woman handling the check in.

* * *

The flight from Seoul's Incheon International Airport to Tokyo's Narita International airport had been quick and uneventful. Koga spent the time working on his reading assignment and Kagome spent her time messaging with Ginta as she attempted to set up dinner plans.

Their 'off the books' mission would start tomorrow and they were able to use their time tonight at their discretion. Their last private trip to Japan was left with promises to reunite with Koga's betas and meet their families. It was a promise that she intended to make good on.

"Where to?" Koga asked curiously as he pulled their suitcases down from the baggage carousel.

"We're headed to an apartment that is near the Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine. It's five minutes away from the large estates that are located on Temple Street." She whispered to him.

"We're going to spend some time with the very wealthy, aren't we?" Koga said suspiciously as he made his way to the parking lot, looking for his treasured and familiar Subaru Impreza WRX.

Kagome made no attempt to enlighten him, instead she looked at her watch.

"Let's go drop our stuff off and then head out to meet Ginta. His mate, Annika, will be hosting us tonight. Hakkaku and his family are headed there, too."

"This should be interesting." Koga said happily. "I can't picture those two idiots mated and with kids. Obviously the wolf demon females have slim pickings these days." He added, chuckling.

"Be nice tonight, Koga. Just to remind you, they're not your betas anymore. We're going there as friends."

"Don't worry, I'll behave." Koga said through a smirk as he loaded his car and helped Kagome into the passenger seat.

In another moment he was in the car and speeding off to the apartments located near Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine.

* * *

"This is Ginta's house?!" Koga said as a large gated property came into view. "How the hell is he able to afford this?" He continued, as he pulled up to the large and looming steel gate.

At the approach of the car, several large wolves immediately charged the gate, barking and snarling at them from the other side.

"Obviously we have the right house." Kagome said, smiling as she watched the pack of wolves furiously defend their territory. "I'm sure the mailman must love delivering mail here every day."

"I'm shocked their neighbors haven't called the police." Koga supplied as he zeroed in on the pack's alpha.

"He _is_ the police. The _head_ of police, actually. He's famous for his efforts in rescuing wolves and utilizing them within the police force to serve and protect the community. No one is going to be able to do anything to him."

The couple sat and watched as the pack began to furiously slam into the gate and snap at them.

"This is all you, _Lord Koga_. Go open the gate."

Koga sighed as he exited the car. Upon his departure, Kagome leaned forward to watch him.

Koga casually walked up to the gate and growled a few times, before working to open it. The wolves immediately backed off and retreated to the further ends of the property.

 _That was boring._ Kagome thought. _I was hoping that would be more theatrical._

Koga quickly returned to the car and pulled into Ginta's driveway before throwing the car into park and once again exiting so that he could latch the gate. As he did so, Kagome waited patiently in the car for him to come and retrieve her. She wasn't going anywhere with an angry wolf pack on the prowl. She could feel the weight of the animal's stares upon her from their hidden places among the shadows. As she attempted to place each of the animal's locations, a tap on her window made her jump.

Koga was laughing at her.

Kagome slightly blushed in embarrassment before she opened her door and immediately flew next to him, trying to push her way under his arm.

The obvious unspoken request for his protection awakened a primal and masculine part of him. In the entire time since he had found her again, Kagome had never once deferred to him for such a thing. She was always the one doing the protecting.

"They're not going to hurt you." Koga said in a low and throaty growl, as his bonding scent flooded over her and his arm wrapped tightly around her, pulling her against his chest.

"They're sizing me up. I can feel it." She mumbled as her eyes swept over the property.

"They don't know who we are. They're curious about us. I promise they're not going to bother us."

Koga noticed that his words seemed to settle her slightly, however, she kept her body pressed up tightly against his as they walked over to, and knocked on, Ginta's front door.

The door opened quickly and they were greeted by a tall and lean woman who was beaming from ear to ear. Her blonde hair was tied up in ornate braids and her piercing blue eyes sparkled with glee. She was wearing a simple long white sweater over black leggings.

Her appearance was exotic and very beautiful.

"You must be Koga and Kagome!" She said cheerfully as she quickly stepped in between the couple and took them into a strong hug. "I've heard so much about both of you! Please come in!" She said hurriedly as she released them, stepping back from the doorway to allow them entrance.

Koga and Kagome immediately entered and removed their shoes while observing the high cathedral ceilings from their place in the beautifully decorated living room. The house was huge, but it was cozy and apparently well lived in.

As if on cue, a rumbling of footsteps echoed through the house and a flood of six children ranging in age forced their way into the living room as if to greet them.

"You are Koga!" The eldest boy shouted excitedly as he eagerly stepped forward, priding himself on his ability to get to the living room first. "The last Alpha!"

Koga nodded and studied the teenager's appearance. He looked like a male version of his mother.

 _He lucked out in the gene pool._ Koga thought to himself.

"I am." Koga answered, as he quickly took note of the four other children, who also all looked like their mother. They all shyly made their way over to him. Koga noticed that one of the girls was carrying an infant.

The teenage boy, who was apparently the eldest, took care of the introductions.

"These are my sisters Else, Linnea and Kai. The baby that Kai is holding is our little brother, his name is Axl. My other brother…" He said as he turned his attention to the one remaining small boy. "…is named Bjorn." He said happily. "And my name is Lucian." He said, beaming. "I'm the oldest."

Kagome's eyes widened at the familiar names.

 _Someone obviously is a fan of the Aethelwulf series._ Kagome thought to herself.

Koga seemed to focus in on it too, but said nothing.

"How old is the baby?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Three months." Annika supplied as she walked over and took the small infant from Kai's arms. "Would you like to hold him?" She asked sweetly.

"Not really." Kagome said with a smile. "Babies aren't really my thing." She admitted.

Annika didn't seem perturbed by the revelation. She instead walked over to Kagome and pushed the child into her arms.

"Wait! I said it wasn't really my thing!" She sputtered as her hands wrapped around the small child.

Koga stifled a laughed as he watched Kagome's brows furrow.

"You just need some practice." Annika said laughing as she walked away, leaving Kagome stuck caring for the child. "Everyone, come with me into the kitchen. I've prepared some things for us to nibble on while we wait for Ginta to get back from work. I just spoke with him and he should be here any minute."

As the mob of children took off, Kagome stared down at the small child that was in her arms. The little baby boy was looking up at her in wonder. As she made eye contact with him, the infant smiled brightly at her, revealing a full mouth of sharp and tiny little teeth.

 _Good Lord! They're born with a full set of teeth?!_ Kagome thought horrified.

The little boy began to happily giggle at her shocked expression and the sound was so joyous that Kagome couldn't help but smile at him.

 _He's kind of cute._ She thought as she studied the child's light blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

Before she could help herself, she leaned down and rubbed the tip of her nose with his.

The action had the child laughing hysterically, the sound was so contagious that Kagome couldn't help but laugh along with him, cuddling him into her and mock chastising him in a sing song voice.

Several minutes into the cuddles and gentle play, Kagome picked up on the thick and musky smell of Koga's bonding scent flooding the room. Reacting to it, she pulled her eyes away from Axl's for a moment so that she could search for Koga.

The small boy frowned at the loss of her attention.

Koga had initially gone with the rest of the group towards the kitchen, however, it didn't appear that he had made it further than the hallway. Her mate remained statuesque as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed against his chest. His blue eyes were hooded, yet sharply focused on her as his head tilted to the side as if deep in thought.

 _What a strange time to be in the mood._ Kagome thought, as she turned her attention back to the baby, who happily cooed at the renewed eye contact.

"I'm going to take you home with me." Kagome sang to him. "Oh, yes. I am." She said smiling. "Would you like that little baby? Do you want to come home with me?" She said, her voice gentle and soothing.

The baby squealed in delight which made Kagome laugh. "You're just too much." She said softly as she began to slowly walk over to the kitchen, her eyes glued to the child that she had snuggled in her arms.

As she got to the hallway, she bumped gently into Koga's chest. He apparently hadn't moved a single inch since she had last looked over at him.

Her eyes immediately flew up at him.

Kagome was about to ask him if he was alright, but she noticed that he was still intensely gazing at her, only now, his eyes had become a glowing red.

"We are not having sex right now! What is wrong with you?" Kagome angrily whispered. "Move out of the way. They're probably waiting for us to join them and we're being rude."

Koga said nothing to her. He instead lifted his hand, wrapped his clawed digits around the back of her head, and slowly lowered his mouth down against hers, parting her lips in a very soft and possessive kiss.

Axl was not at all happy with the loss of attention and the baby began to cry loudly at the top of his little lungs, forcing Kagome to abruptly break away from Koga and attempt to soothe him.

"That's what you have to look forward to, Koga." A warm voice said knowingly from behind them. "It'll never be all about you anymore." Annika said as she met his eyes. "It's a very hard realization for mated males to willingly accept."

Koga blinked a few times before he once again looked over at Kagome, who had expertly calmed Axl down and had begun lowly singing to him.

"Children suit you." Annika said softly as she smiled at Kagome. "Axl is a difficult one as well. You're a natural." She said, complimenting her.

Kagome brightened and walked over to Annika. "Here you go." She said as she lifted her arms in her direction. "I'm afraid that if you don't take him, I'm going to ignore everyone else and I don't want to be rude." She said honestly.

Annika laughed. "No problem. But he seems to really be enjoying you. He _is_ going to cry." She warned her as she reached out to take the baby.

Axel immediately pouted and the two women froze.

Kagome smiled and winked at Annika before turning towards Koga.

"How about you go to uncle Koga?" Kagome said chuckling as she gently pushed the baby against Koga's chest.

She watched as Koga studied the child for a moment before hesitantly accepting him, wrapping his strong and muscled arms protectively around his little body while rumbling gently to him, in a low and soothing timbre.

Kagome felt something tighten in her heart as she watched him; someone so rugged and hard, protecting someone so tiny and fragile.

Axl didn't appear to be too thrilled about the change in playmates, but he didn't immediately cry which Kagome took to be a good sign. Annika seemed to come to the same conclusion as she took Kagome gently by the wrist and pulled her with her into the kitchen.

"He desperately wants to have children with you." She whispered. "His bonding scent was strongly advertising his potent fertility back there."

"Really?"

"Yes, scent is the most primal form of communication among our people. Sometimes the message is one of possessiveness, sometimes it is a warning, and other times it can communicate one's health and emotional state. The list goes on and on." Annika said quickly. "The person giving off the scent isn't ever aware that they're even doing it, nor can they smell it. Every need and desire, both physical and emotional, is constantly sent out in messages through scent. However, bonding scents are a little different. They are so powerful that even humans can smell and react to them, although humans can't grasp the minute messages embedded within."

"That's amazing. I wish I were able to decipher his bonding scent like you can. Koga's bonding scent always smells exactly the same to me."

"I wish you could interpret it as well. The messages within the scent are really detailed. We see them as images in a way; colors wrapping around each other or combining with each other. It's very hard to describe." She tried to explain. "But it's sexy and soothing all the same."

Kagome felt herself becoming somewhat dejected.

 _My bonding scent is pulled directly from my ovulation hormones and manufactured in a lab. It doesn't communicate different things like his does. I wonder what my bonding scent is always saying to him?_ She thought as she traced her fingers over her collarbone, which was the site that she applied her daily drop of bonding scent to after each shower.

"Well, regardless of what Koga's body is advertising, I don't want children. Not anytime soon, that is."

"Trust me, there's no rush. Children change everything. Make sure to enjoy each other for as long as you can first."

"I certainly intend to." Kagome said as she approached the magnificent meat and cheese spread that Annika had laid out for them.

Upon further inspection, Kagome noticed the meat was raw.

 _Stick to the cheese._ Her mind warned. _Unless, you want to spend this mission laid up in the hospital._

As Kagome picked at the cheese and made small talk with Annika and her children, she noticed as Koga finally entered the room to join them. He seemed fascinated by the baby that he had cradled in his left arm. The child had taken to holding onto his right index finger and was trying to get it into his mouth so that he could chew on it. Koga was providing him with resistance, which seemed to infuriate the small baby.

"Are all wolf demons are born with teeth?" Kagome asked curiously as she watched the exchange between her mate and the baby.

"Yes, they're milk teeth. They eventually fall out and are replaced with permanent teeth by the age of two."

"But how do you…?" Kagome trailed off as she watched the baby attempt to once again bite Koga's finger.

Annika erupted in a roar of laughter.

"Exactly how you're thinking." She sputtered in between her draws for air.

Koga looked up at the women, apparently very confused on the topic of their conversation.

"How do you what?" He asked curiously

"Don't ask." Kagome muttered, watching how Koga's moment of distraction allowed Axl to ferociously bite down on his finger, drawing blood.

"Ow!" Koga hissed, his eyes flying back over to Axl.

The child seemed hell bent on sucking the crimson liquid up and into his mouth.

"He's hungry." Lucian said knowingly.

"I know." Annika said as she quickly released Koga's finger from Axel's mouth with one quick swoop of her finger and expertly maneuvered the child into her arms. "Time to eat, little guy."

"That has to hurt." Kagome said as she watched her.

"Oh believe me, it does."

"What does?" Koga asked, still completely confused.

Annika watched as Kagome's features twisted in horror. "Most of us use bottles now." She said soothingly. "But there are some of us left that are still fans of the old ways and choose to breastfeed even if it is painful."

Something appeared to click in Koga's head and his eyes visibly widened. He quickly flew over to the food in an attempt to busy himself while the woman handled this conversation without him.

"Why would anyone _want_ to do that?" Kagome said, as she tried not to imagine the sorry and painful state that Annika's breasts must constantly be in.

"Because in addition to the milk, the babies are able to pull additional nutrients in from their mother's blood. We heal up quick, so there's no permanent damage. You get used to it after a while." She offered before she exited the room and disappeared, obviously off to feed her baby.

 _I hope wolf demon hanyous are not born with teeth!_ Kagome's mind screamed, knowing that one had never been born before.

As if reading her mind, Koga shimmied over to her and wrapped his arm around her back as he made quick work of eating most of the raw and bloodied meat that was decoratively displayed on the offered platter.

 _That's probably what my nipples would end up looking like._ She thought as she studied the platter.

The thought had her suppressing a gag.

"Are you okay?" Koga asked as he studied her.

"Yup. Totally fine." She said, as if attempting to convince herself.

As Ginta's children animatedly engaged Koga in conversation about all the stories they've heard about him, Kagome heard the wolves outside excitedly barking.

"Dad's home!" Lucian said, sniffing the air.

"Uncle Hakkaku, Aunt Itsumi and the cousins are here, too!" Else said excitedly, as she and her brothers and sisters ran to the door to greet everyone.

"How many kids does Hakkaku have?" Koga whispered.

"Eight."

"What?!"

"He has eight." Kagome repeated.

"How in the hell do these guys have so many children?"

"This isn't ancient times, Koga. Your people have successfully blended in and risen up in society. It's only natural that the wolf demon numbers would start to boom. It's a sign of positive things." Kagome said seriously.

Koga looked lost in thought as he processed this information. However, he was quickly interrupted by the new mob of small children that ran into the kitchen.

Hakkaku's children were much younger and closer together in age than Ginta's. Their youngest looked to be two and their oldest appeared to be nine. His children were obviously rambunctious and out of control. They immediately began running around and tearing up the kitchen, pulling pots out of cabinets and items out of drawers, laughing mischievously as they did so.

Kagome had settled on watching them before Hakkaku appeared with a petite woman with long black hair and green eyes, at his side. It didn't take much effort to assume that she was his mate, Itsumi.

Ginta quickly flew to their side as well.

Hakkaku hurriedly introduced Kagome and Koga to his mate, before breaking away and attempting to corral his naughty children into a corner.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Itsumi said happily as she took Kagome into a hug, before repeating the process with Koga and engaging him in conversation.

"Hi Kagome!" Ginta said cheerfully, as he waited his turn to hug her as well.

"You really do have a beautiful family." Kagome told him honestly. "And congratulations on the new baby. He's adorable!"

"That's because he looks like his mother." Ginta said, laughing. "He may be cute, but he has a ferocious temper."

"Yea, I noticed. He bit Koga while he was holding him." Kagome said chuckling.

"Koga… held the baby?" Ginta asked his voice rising in apparent suppressed panic.

"Of course he did." Kagome said seriously.

"Koga _hates_ children." Ginta whispered as he stared at Koga suspiciously while Koga conversed with Itsumi.

"He does not."

"Oh yes, he does." Ginta continued. "No child of crying age was ever even allowed _near_ the meeting dens. Nor were they allowed anywhere near him or near his quarters. He always used to say they were weak and disgusting."

Kagome openly gaped at him. "Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not. Parents were afraid to let their kids go near him for fear that he might harm them in some way if they pissed him off."

Kagome's head flew over to look at Koga, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"I can't believe it." She whispered angrily.

"Don't get angry, that was centuries ago and nothing bad ever happened. I was just surprised to hear that he touched Axl, that's all. I can't even picture him in the same room as a baby, let alone holding one." Ginta advised, lowly. "However, he IS a bonded male now. It makes sense that he's finally taking somewhat of an interest in them."

Before Kagome could respond to this, Hakkaku appeared and dragged both her and Koga over to meet his children, which he had lined up in height order.

The eight kids had a cross of black and white hair, brown or green eyes and tanned skin, matching their parents. The youngest grinned at her, making great show of his missing front teeth.

"Yui, Rio, Koharu, Mio, Yuto, Hayato, Ryusei and Soma." Hakkaku said hurriedly as he pointed down the line of children.

"My name is Soma!" The youngest shouted proudly while gesturing to his chest. "That's MY name."

Hakkaku sighed and Kagome giggled.

"Four girls followed by four boys. How cute."

"Tell dad to stop having children." The oldest daughter, Yui, grumbled as her eyes pleaded with Kagome's. "I'm sick of having to share all my stuff."

"I know how you feel. I had a brother."

"Just…one?" Yui asked. "That's it?"

"Um, yea."

"Then you don't know how I feel." She said with a level of maturity that was far beyond her years.

"That's enough, Yui." Hakkaku pleaded impatiently. "This lady is Kagome, and this man is Koga, the former leader of our tribe." He said grinning.

The children immediately brightened and surrounded him, all shouting numerous questions at him.

"Can I have your autograph?" Yui shouted over the voices of her brothers and sisters.

"Take a picture with us!" Yuto shouted.

"I want cake!" Soma, the youngest shouted at the top of his lungs.

Koga immediately looked overwhelmed and he raised his hands while shushing them.

"Hey! I want a picture too!" Ginta's son, Lucian, shouted, quickly joining the group of children that surrounded Koga.

His brothers and sisters quickly joined the crowd as well.

Thirteen children were obviously way too many, and Koga desperately looked over to Kagome for help.

She threw her hands up at him in response.

 _What would you like me to do?_

"Ginta, Hakkaku! A little help here!" He shouted over his shoulder.

However the two betas either didn't hear him over the noise, or they purposefully ignored him.

"Calm down!" Koga growled. "I promise I'll take pictures with you guys. Just, please, fregging relax!"

A heavy silence fell over the children for only a moment.

"HE SAID A BAD WORD!" Soma screamed, horrified.

A loud sounding "OOOOOOOO" slowly built up throughout the crowd of children.

"I did not!" Koga hollered.

"You said ' _fucking'_." Soma mumbled through his missing teeth, as he gaped at him.

"I did not say, ' _fucking'_!" Koga hissed.

The loud sounding "OOOOOOOO" once again took off amongst the children.

"You said _'fucking'_ again." Soma, the two year old, repeated.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Ginta roared from his place on the far side of the kitchen. "Watch the language!"

"He tricked me!" Koga growled as he pointed to the two year old.

"He's a little kid, Koga!" Hakkaku spat as he made his way through the sea of children. "You're the adult here. Act like it."

"Everyone! Dinner is on the dinning room table!" Annika shouted from the hallway. "Let's eat!"

All the children immediately took off in the direction of what Koga assumed to be the dinning room and he loudly sighed in relief.

"Couldn't you guys have, I don't know, one or two kids? Are you trying to restore the clan all by yourselves? It's impossible to manage that many children."

"It's not impossible." Hakkaku said smugly. "You just try to get through the day, that's all you can do."

"Easy for you to say." Itsumi said. "You're at work all day. I'm the one trying to get through the day, not you." She said, frowning.

"And I love you for it. You do an amazing job, baby." Hakkaku said, tenderly as he wrapped his arm around her.

His comment immediately smoothed Itsumi's scowl and she leaned into him, allowing him to lead her in the direction of the dinning room.

Koga watched them leave, shaking his head.

"Are you alright?" Kagome said, obviously trying to stifle her laughter.

"I will be after a few drinks." He muttered.

The answer made Ginta chuckle. "Did you think that children would be easy?"

"No, I've always thought the opposite. They always seemed to be way more trouble than they were worth." He admitted.

"No, they're certainly worth it. You realize that the moment they come into this world." Ginta admitted, honestly.

"If you say so." Koga growled.


	9. Chapter 9

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 9

Dinner was amusing the say the least. The first part of dinner was spent with all the adults assisting in feeding the youngest of the children while the older children ate. Once that task had been completed, all children were excused from the table and sent off to play. The oldest children were tasked with the responsibility of watching over the younger ones.

Once the dust settled and a few moments of silence were appreciated by the six adults that were left in the room, all seemed to visibly relax and fall into comfortable conversation as they ate their now slightly cold food.

"So, Annika." Kagome said, as she smiled at the blonde wolf demon that was sitting across from her. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Annika tilted her head at the question. "No, I am not from Japan." She answered, before turning her attention back to her meal.

"Where are you from?" Koga asked her curiously.

"Europe." She said quickly, before taking a bite of her food.

"Annika and I met here twenty years ago while she was on vacation." Ginta supplied. "I pulled her over for speeding." He said softly, as if lost in the memory.

Annika smiled. "The only way he would let me go without a ticket is if I went to dinner with him that night." She said, happily.

"Blackmail." Hakkaku muttered, teasing Ginta.

"I fell in love with her that very night." He said sweetly. "It's not every day you pull over a beautiful, foreign wolf demon."

Annika quickly reached over and took Ginta's hand, entwining her fingers with his.

"That's very sweet." Kagome said, smiling widely at the couple.

"Is Ginta your first mate?" Koga asked, curiously.

Annika frowned. "No, he is my second. Though, I wish he were my first." She said, as her eyes hazed over as though she were lost in thought.

"Everything happens the way it does for a reason." Ginta said, honestly. "I don't care if I was her tenth mate, as long as she's with me now."

"Kagome is Koga's second mate." Hakkaku supplied, as if to make Annika feel better.

"Yes, I am aware. However, Ayame was a mate in only in title." She corrected. "That doesn't count."

"It counts in our history." Hakkaku pushed.

"Just because you have a mating ceremony does not automatically make two wolf demons mates, especially if the biological part of the pairing never happened." Itsumi chided. "At least that's how I think of it. A political union is just that… politics."

"What do you think?" Ginta asked, directing the question over to Koga.

Koga's eyes flicked over to Kagome, noticing that she was entirely focused on his answer, before he hesitantly responded.

"Yes and no." He said slowly. "She ruled the clan alongside me, she was the undisputed alpha female of the pack. However, I tend to agree with Itsumi, especially now that I know what it's like to truly be mated with Kagome. Ayame was a mate in terms of shared responsibility, but not in the truest sense of the word. It just never happened. We never bonded." He admitted.

"I never understood why you two had to have a mating ceremony in the first place. Couldn't you two just rule together without the forced relationship in order to unite the tribes?" Hakkaku asked.

"We should have done that." Koga said guardedly. "It would have made things a hell of a lot easier. But the Northern Tribe's elder wouldn't allow that."

"But, you two were romantically involved, were you not?" Annika jumped in. "At least, that's what I've heard. Ginta told me that there was a time that you two were very happy together, but then it slowly fizzled out."

"We were never meant to be anything long term. The fact that we were forced together and had to stay together in order to keep the tribes united was stressful. Don't get me wrong, we did care about each other, we just weren't meant to be. I think we both knew that going in, but hoped that things would somehow work themselves out."

 _That's so sad._ Kagome thought to herself. _They went into a forced political union, attempted, and succeeded, in having a real relationship and spent two centuries of their lives together, side by side. He even gave the woman his virginity._

Kagome, immediately tried to relate.

She randomly thought about what it would be like if General Yamada had forced her and Frisk into a political union that was meant to unite her Alpha team with his former Beta team for the span of two centuries.

The idiotic thought immediately had her choking on her wine.

Ginta eyed her suspiciously. "Are you alright Kagome? We could talk about something else if this is making you uncomfortable."

 _Damnit! Now I look like an insecure psycho when, for once in my life, I genuinely wasn't being an insecure psycho!_

"No, that's not it at all. I just had a completely random thought and it was so ridiculous that it made me laugh." She admitted. "I promise you, I am not, in any way, uncomfortable with this conversation." She said honestly, as she met Ginta's eyes and took another gentle swig of her wine.

"What were you thinking about?" Koga asked, suspiciously.

Kagome once again choked on her drink.

"Do not ask me that." She whispered.

"Come on! Don't be like that, Kagome!" Hakkaku, prodded. "I want to know your ridiculous random thought."

"Drop it." Kagome warned, as she began to focus on her food.

The table grew silent and Kagome could feel everyone's eyes on her.

The silence was weighing on her.

"Kagome?" Annika, said softly. "You're among family here."

 _Oh hell._

"I was thinking about how it would feel like being forced to spend two centuries alongside the person that I lost my virginity to. Trust me, if any of you knew the guy, you'd know what a horrific shit show it would be, and you'd all laugh your asses off." Kagome said angrily.

While Hakkaku and Ginta exchanged confused glances, a random image of Frisk smirking while giving her two thumbs up popped into her mind before she could stop it, and her hand flew over her mouth as she desperately tried not to laugh.

Everyone was watching her.

 _How is this happening right now?_ She thought as she struggled to compose herself.

"We _did_ know him." Ginta said, hesitantly.

 _No, you don't. There's no way that you know Frisk._ Kagome thought to herself, as her brows furrowed.

Hakkaku began openly laughing. "Honestly, Kagome? Back then, it didn't seem as though you would have minded spending two centuries alongside Inuyasha."

"Huh? What does _he_ have to do with anything?" Kagome asked, completely confused.

Hakkaku stopped laughing and looked over at Ginta. The two men exchanged worried glances before speaking again.

"You and Inuyasha didn't…" Hakkaku trailed off.

"We were positive that…" Ginta started, apologetically. "You two were always together. You did tell us that he was your boyfriend back then."

"Oh yea… _that_." She said, hesitating at the memory. "I need to apologize to you. I kind of lied to you guys about a few things back then. Inuyasha was never my boyfriend." Kagome said, quickly.

Ginta and Hakkaku's faces immediately dropped.

"Why would you lie about that?" Hakkaku wondered.

 _Because I didn't want Koga to get in the way._ She remembered, becoming immediately livid with herself.

"It doesn't really matter. Can we please change the subject?" Kagome squeaked.

"Do you really mean to tell us that in all of the time that you were together, Inuyasha never once tried to… become intimate with you?" Ginta asked, his voice low and bewildered.

Kagome could now feel the weight of Koga's stare upon her. She nearly bowed from the weight of it and purposefully refused to meet his eyes.

"It's not like we were ever alone. Plus, I was very young. What kind of girl did you take me for back then?" She retorted angrily.

"But, weren't you in love with him?" Itsumi asked sympathetically. "I heard a bunch of stories about you two."

 _Oh my God, Hakkaku told his mate about this?!_

"I genuinely thought I was once, but time proved to me that my feelings back then were nothing more than a misunderstood childish crush." Kagome tried to explain, becoming exasperated.

"How in the hell did Inuyasha not try anything?! Especially, when you were dressed in the way that you were!" Hakkaku burst out. "Meanwhile, our Koga was trying so valiantly just to get you to notice that he was alive. Inuyasha actually had you and your affections, and yet…" Hakkaku shrieked in disbelief. "Did anything happen _at all_ between you guys? This is such a massive let down!"

"First of all, you idiots wore less clothing than I did. Second of all, I don't think that this is appropriate dinner conversation!" Kagome chided as politely as she could.

"It's just a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, Kagome." Ginta pushed, as his eyes flicked over to study Koga's reaction.

Kagome sighed. "Yes. We just kissed a few times. Twice, if I remember correctly." She clarified.

Ginta tilted his head. "That's it? That's pretty pathetic."

"It is. Now, can we please move along and talk about something else?" She pleaded.

"Were the kisses at least romantic in some way?" Annika asked.

"Why do you all care so much?!" Kagome shouted, completely out of patience. "Do you all want to tell me about _your_ first kisses? Hell, Annika won't even tell us where she's really from, but for some reason, it is somehow necessary that I disclose my private affairs?"

She then turned on Koga. "Is there a reason why you're not jumping in here to defend me at all?" She said, angrily.

Koga frowned at her. "I'm a little curious as well." He said, in a low and possessive voice.

"No, you're not. You're just waiting to hear something that would give you a reason to pick a fight with me. That's how this is going to end if this line of questioning continues and you know it!" She spat, crossing her arms across her chest and scowling.

"I am from Norway." Annika interjected abruptly. "Ginta's retelling of the story between you and Inuyasha is as beautiful as it is tragic. I am a huge fan of romance in all forms and I'd like to hear your story, Kagome." She said pleadingly.

"Norway?" Kagome said, suspiciously.

"Yes. Now, please. Do tell us how Inuyasha stole your first kiss."

"I'll trade you." Kagome said, as a slow smirk made its way across her face.

Annika studied her for a moment before she nodded her head. "Sure. Ask away. Unlike you, I am more than happy to share my memories." She said, as she winked at Ginta.

"Who did you name your eldest son after?" Kagome said, quickly.

Annika's face dropped and she immediately released Ginta's hand.

"It is a common name. I liked it." Annika stammered, her eyes pleading with Kagome's.

"If you aren't going to be honest, then I won't be either." She said, angrily.

"I named him after the most legendary Scandinavian wolf demon leader of all time." She choked out. "Now it's your turn." She said, quickly.

 _Lucian is the most famous werewolf of all time, and not just in the Aethelwulf series, in all of human legend and_ _lore_ _as well. Was he really a wolf demon?_ Kagome thought to herself.

Kagome sighed. "The first time I kissed Inuyasha, it was to save him from a demon named Kaguya." She said, seriously. "Kaguya had a weapon called the Mirror of Life. She was able to trap Inuyasha's human blood in the mirror, slowly forcing him to transform into full blooded demon." She said, as her brows furrowed, lost in the memory. "To become a full demon was something that Inuyasha had always wanted. That's what he wanted to use the completed Shikon no Tama for in the first place." She whispered. "But every time that Inuyasha's demonic blood would begin to take over his body, he would go completely berserk… which is what started to happen at that moment with the mirror. I didn't know how to stop the transformation." She sadly admitted. "So I ran to him, took him into my arms and pleaded that he not give himself over to the power of the mirror. But, he was far beyond my reach." She advised. "So I told him…" She trailed off.

 _"Inuyasha, I'm begging you! Please don't change! I love you as a half demon, Inuyasha!"_ She remembered.

Kagome felt a chill run up her spine while the tension in the room thickened as everyone waited for her to continue.

"I begged him not to change, and I told him that I loved him just the way he was… as a half demon." She admitted. "It caused him to hesitate, but only for a moment before he dug his sharp claws into my arms." She said softly, as she rolled up her sleeve, showing her audience the row of barely visible scars that were slightly indented into her upper arm, while the fingers of her free hand lightly traced over them."He was crushing me and I was incredibly desperate to stop him. So, I did the only thing that I could think of. I stepped forward and I kissed him with everything that I had." She paused. "And it worked." She whispered. "The mirror broke from the sheer force of Inuyasha's overwhelming desire to always remain at my side."

Kagome immediately felt Koga stiffen beside her as the room remained absolutely silent. After a few moments, she continued.

"He gave up on his only chance to become what he always wanted… just so that he could stay with me for a little longer." She said tenderly, as she tried to ignore Koga's bonding scent, while timidly scanning the many faces that surrounded her place at the table.

She noticed that everyone had tears in their eyes and was sympathetically smiling at her.

All except for one.

Koga's face was twisted into a murderous scowl. His glowing red eyes signified a brightly burning rage.

 _Now we're going to fight. Great. I knew this would happen._

"Kagome, that is absolutely beautiful." Annika said in a hoarse voice while she obviously struggled to hold back her tears.

At her words, Ginta and Hakkaku covered their faces with their hands and began sobbing.

Itsumi began to gently rub circles against Hakkaku's back as she sniffled.

"We're leaving!" Koga roared, as he angrily stood up and marched out of the dining room.

"See! I knew that would happen!" Kagome spat. "I fucking knew it!" She continued, furious. "Yet, everyone pushed me along. This isn't fair!" She grumbled as she too, stood up.

"Sit back down." Annika said softly, while she narrowed her eyes at the doorway that Koga had just exited. "Let him calm down." She ordered, as her eyes flew over to the two hysterical men that were in the room.

She shook her head in disbelief before addressing them.

"Ginta, Hakkaku!" She said sternly. "Go fix this." She demanded.

The harsh tone of her voice immediately sprung both men from their seats and they ran off.

"It's probably better that I leave." Kagome admitted. "Koga is overly protective and he doesn't like to hear anything about my past with other men. Which, I completely understand as I'm the same way." She said in a guilt ridden voice.

"But, he didn't make any effort to stop you." Itsumi replied. "If this kind of thing bothers him, then why would he allow the conversation to continue? Especially, after you warned him?"

"Because Koga is overly nosey and he pays the price for it each and every time. However, he just can't stop himself." Kagome huffed. "Then he ends up taking his insecurities out on me. It's a never ending cycle." She whispered, becoming defeated. "Our relationship is still very new and our feelings for each other are so strong that they're a little difficult to navigate through sometimes."

"It'll get a little easier over time." Itsumi said, as she offered her a smile.

"Thank you."

"In the meantime, Kagome." Annika interrupted. "You owe me another kiss." She said, smiling.

"What? You want to continue this?" Kagome asked, horrified.

"I do." Annika said seriously, as she held Kagome's eyes.

Kagome walked over to the two seated women and sat between them, rolling down her sleeve.

"Alright, since the men are finally out of the room..." Kagome whispered, mischievously. "Annika, I want you to tell me all about Lucian and I don't want a simple one sentence answer like you gave me the last time." She hissed. "You know more than you're letting on. If you want another story from me, then I expect one from you, first."

Annika immediately cringed. "I… can't…" She sputtered as her eyes flew between Kagome and Itsumi.

"You can trust us." Itsumi whispered, becoming intrigued.

"I promise, I won't say anything." Kagome pledged.

Annika's eyes studied Kagome's before landing back on Itsumi's.

"I promise I'll never tell, either." Itsumi said, honestly.

Annika took a deep breath. "I'm trusting you two. Now, hurry. Follow me." She instructed as she rose from her seat and took off.

* * *

"Koga!" Ginta shouted, completely out of breath as he tried to keep up with Koga's high paced march out his front door.

"Would you stop?!" Hakkaku pleaded, as he pushed his legs to keep up.

"I don't miss chasing you!" Ginta shouted, exasperated.

"Then don't!" Koga growled out over his shoulder.

"I'm getting too old for this shit!" Hakkaku spat, as he growled loudly, signaling his and Ginta's wolves out of the shadows.

The animals immediately surrounded Koga, halting him.

"Good thinking." Ginta whispered to Hakkaku as he finally caught up to Koga's side.

"She warned you." Ginta said, getting straight to the point. "She told you what would happen, but you wanted to hear it."

"You're ruining dinner!" Hakkaku grumbled. "Annika worked so hard to put everything together on such short notice. How could you do that to her?"

"I don't care about Annika's fucking dinner!" Koga shouted.

Koga immediately felt Ginta's black aura push him backwards, while his former beta's heavy and vicious bonding scent flooded the air.

Koga immediately got the message.

"I didn't mean that." He grumbled in Ginta's direction. "I didn't mean to disrespect your mate."

Ginta glared at him through glowing red eyes for several moments before taking a deep breath and regaining control.

"Let's get this over with, Koga." Hakkaku said.

"Yea, what's the real problem here?" Ginta asked, out of patience.

"How the fuck is it not obvious to you?!" Koga spat. "How would you like it if Annika told someone else that she was in love with them?!"

"She has." Ginta replied simply. "I don't disillusion myself. I am her _second_ mate, Koga."

"Kagome was never Inuyasha's mate. They never did anything more than kiss, Koga!" Hakkaku said, as he rubbed his forehead. "She was a kid back then and so were you! She specifically told us that she realized that her feelings for Inuyasha were nothing more than a simple crush much later on in her life. Why do you care so much about the fickle affections of a sixteen year old human girl that no longer exists?"

Koga sighed, his posture slowly becoming defeated by the action.

"You can't own her entire past like you did with Ayame. Sister Kagome lived her life, she found you and fell in love with you in this time for a reason. It wasn't supposed to happen any time before that. You understand this, don't you?" Ginta said, soothingly.

"Who cares if she _thought_ she loved Inuyasha back then? Nothing ever came of it. If they were meant to be together, then fate would have found a way. She would have either been able to stay in the Feudal Era or he would have been reincarnated in this time, just for her." Hakkaku supplied.

"But none of that happened." Ginta said softly, as he placed his hand on Koga's shoulder. "Instead, you two found each other and you even found a way to take her as your mate… which should have been impossible."

"She loves you, boss. Shouldn't that be enough for you?" Hakkaku said lowly, as he studied him.

Koga closed his eyes in silent surrender.

* * *

The three women had hurriedly followed Annika to what appeared to be a hidden room that was accessible through a hidden trap door that could be found on the floor of her pantry.

While the women followed her down the stairs and into the room, they closed the trap door behind them. As soon as the women entered the space, Annika quickly turned on the lights, revealing a large study.

Large shelves of books wrapped around the walls, and in the center of the room was a large mahogany desk that was covered in papers. A large computer monitor took up the center of the desk.

As Kagome looked around, she noticed the very familiar covers of her favorite book series scattered throughout the bookshelves.

"Lucian is my former mate." Annika whispered, her voice trembling.

"No freaking way!" Kagome whispered in a sharp voice.

In hearing Annika's admission and upon seeing all the books, something clicked in Kagome's head.

"You're the author aren't you…" She said shakily as she pointed to the book shelves. "You're Lovette Móðolfr, aren't you?!"

"The writer of the Aethelwulf series?!" Itsumi said excitedly. "No way! I am such a huge fan of yours!"

Annika rubbed her temples. "Lovette Móðolfr is my pen name. Please don't tell anyone. Promise me!" She pleaded.

"Cross my heart!" Kagome said as she took Annika into a giant hug.

"I vow on my very blood!" Itsumi said, happily. "I shall never betray you!"

"Is that why you wanted to hear my story? For your books?"

Annika giggled. "I am a romance addict." She admitted. "Yes, I wanted to feel inspired. That's why I pushed you. I am sorry."

"No problem at all! If I had known that Lovette Móðolfr wanted to know, I would have happily given you my entire life's story!" She joked. "I can't believe this!"

"So, Lucian's character is based on a real Alpha male, isn't it?" Itsumi asked quickly. "I've been in love with that man since the series came out. Please tell me that he really exists!"

"He does." Annika said, seriously.

The room fell silent as both women studied Annika with widely gaping mouths. As soon as they were able to process her statement, both flew to her, roughly wrapping their arms around her while jumping up and down.

"Ahhhhhh!" Kagome and Itsume squealed. "You can't be serious!"

"Be quiet!" Annika shouted. "Ginta does not know about Lucian or about my books. I do not want him to find out!"

"Why?" Kagome asked, softly.

"He wouldn't appreciate it. I started the series right after Ginta and I met. I didn't expect it to take off the way it that did and I hid it from him. Now I'm stuck keeping it a secret. If he finds out I've been hiding all of this from him, he will leave me."

"Why would he do that? Ginta is devotedly in love with you, Annika. He's not going to leave you because you write books in your free time or because you had a former mate. Such a thing is common after the centuries." Itsumi said seriously.

"Would Hakkaku be happy to know that you were once mated to the most ruthless and powerful wolf demon in all of history? Would he be happy to know that you had children with him? Would he be okay with you writing romance novels using your former mate's legend and description?"

"No. He wouldn't." She admitted. "But, he'd get over it."

"You should have told him all of this from the get go." Kagome said, softly. "You really mean to tell me that he's never once asked about your past?"

"No, he hasn't. He said he'd rather not know and that our pasts should stay in the past."

"I get it." Kagome said, honestly. "I'm exactly the same way. But, it's mostly because I get insanely jealous and down on myself. So, I'd just rather not know things at all."

"If Koga was writing about his past and hiding it from you, how would you react?" Annika whispered.

"I wouldn't care. However, if the main character of those books was Ayame and the content was heavily focused on her wonton sexcapades, then I'd completely lose my shit." Kagome hissed. "If he had written seventy novels about her and I were to find out that she had in fact been, the most desirable and powerful wolf demon female in all of history, I'd have myself committed immediately. I don't know how I would ever recover from such a large blow to the ego."

Itsumi nodded. "When you put it that way…" She said, sucking her teeth. "What a mess."

"The romance and the sex parts aren't based on Lucian though." Annika corrected. "That's all Ginta."

Both women blanched.

"Yuck." Itsumi said, before she could stop herself.

Annika scowled at her. "I'll have you know that Ginta is by far the best lover that I've ever had. Lucian doesn't even hold a candle to him." She spat. "I couldn't stand the thought of anyone getting their rocks off while thinking about _my_ mate, that's why I defaulted to using Lucian's name, background and description." She said venomously, as her bonding scent flooded the air.

"Fine. I get it." Itsumi grumbled.

"So you understand why all of this must be kept secret." Annika growled.

Both women nodded.

"Do you have a picture?" Kagome asked abruptly. "Of Lucian."

"Oh my God! Please tell me that you do. I need to know if he looks like what I've pictured in all of my fantasies!" Itsumi said, excitedly.

"I do. It is a sketch." She said slowly. "My eldest son from my pairing with Lucian drew it." She said, quickly. "All those children are adults now." She added, as she turned and dropped to her knees, extending her claws and using them to pull out a false floorboard.

Kagome and Itsumi flew over to her side and fell down to their knees as well, desperately trying to see what Annika would reveal to them.

Annika gently pulled out a rolled up poster sized piece of paper. The paper was protected by a plastic cover.

As Annika slowly unrolled the paper, the fiercest and most alluring man that Kagome and Itsumi had ever seen came into view.

Lucian had to be _at least_ six feet tall. If the shadows that were drawn into the sketch were any indication; he was strongly built and heavily muscled. Unlike the Japanese wolf demons and their skimpy clothing, this man was heavily clothed in furs. He wore pants of gray wolf fur that were fashioned together by thickly hand stitched thread. Numerous animal skins heavily covered his chest as well. Where the skins joined, his well-defined and chiseled pectoral muscles were briefly visible. His face looked like it was cut from stone; his high cheekbones and hard-set jaw forced his expression into a hard and savage scowl, accented by glowing teal eyes. His fangs came down to his chin naturally and his skin was fair and his hair was silver and long. A portion of his head was shaved just above his ear and the space was used to display a large and fierce tattoo that spilled over the side of his face and down his neck. The balance of his head was covered in thick and ornate braids that twisted against his scalp before tying off into a high, feathered pony tail; the long tresses of which, thickly spilled down to his firm and muscled ass. He carried a large steel battle sword that was covered in ancient markings that matched the tattoo on his face.

"This man looks like a Viking warrior." Kagome whispered as a scorching hot heat seared through her body and her breath hitched in her throat.

"No, not like a Viking. This man looks like a _God_." Itsumi whispered as she immediately began to fan herself.

Annika rolled her eyes dramatically before carefully rolling up the paper and returning it to its hiding place in the floor. Once the drawing was safe, she stood up and walked over to the trap door.

"We have to go now. Hurry." She said, as she heard the men's footsteps reenter the house above them.

Kagome and Itsumi sprung to life and bolted back up into the pantry with Annika right behind them. They managed to close and hide the small trap door before flying over to the kitchen's island.

Once there, Kagome immediately bent over the large marble slab so that she could press her face and torso into the coldness that the stone offered. She felt as though her body was on fire and she was vaguely aware that her nose was slightly bleeding as well.

Itsumi must have felt the same way as she pushed Kagome over a bit so that she could do the same. As soon as her face hit the slab, Kagome noticed that her nose was bleeding too.

"What the hell is the matter with you two?" Annika said as she slowly sniffed the air.

"I'm so hot." Kagome admitted.

"I'm horney as hell." Itsumi mumbled.

"You both are!" Annika hissed, as she took another deep draw of the air. "You're reeking up the place! No offense, but I expect this from Kagome who is human, but you, Itsumi? You're a fully bonded wolf demon female!"

"I still am." Itsumi grumbled. "It's just... I've fantasized about that male for so long. He's more incredible than I ever could have imagined."

"Same here." Kagome muttered through heavy breaths. "Don't get me wrong, since I met Koga that's all changed. But since I discovered the series seven years ago, that man was always rooted within my darkest fantasies... seven long years worth of them. He's so much hotter than I could have ever imagined." She admitted.

"We just need a cold shower or something." Itsumi pleaded, as she gasped for air. "It'll take the edge off."

"Are you two kidding me right now? You'll do so such thing!" Annika growled, as her attention worriedly shifted over to the entranceway of the kitchen.

"The males are coming." Kagome whispered.

"They have a pool out in the back." Itsumi groaned out to Kagome. "It's cold and it'll cover up the smell. Come with me."

Kagome nodded and allowed Itsumi to take her hand and drag her out of the back door of the kitchen and over the grounds.

Both women did not hesitate to idiotically jump into the ice cold water the moment that Ginta's pool came into sight, and the instant that the water hit their skin, they both shrieked and furiously tried to swim over to the ledge to get back out again.

However, the freezing cold water had the intended affect and both women were able to recapture a portion of their sanity.

* * *

"So this is where you ladies were hiding!" Ginta said, as he abruptly entered the kitchen with the other men following closely behind him.

He seemed perplexed as he noticed that only Annika was in the room.

"What is going on?" Ginta asked her, suspiciously.

Annika noticed how his nostrils slightly flared as he asked the question. She also noticed how Koga and Hakkaku's heads both tilted to the side as they attempted to process the scents that were hanging heavily in the room.

"Nothing. Just girl stuff!" Annika choked out, before erupting into a fit of guilty giggles.

Ginta wasn't buying it. "Where are Kagome and Itsumi?" He demanded.

As if on cue, he heard loud female screaming coming from the direction of his back yard.

At the noise, all wolf demons immediately sprang into action and ran outside and over to the pool. However, none were seemingly able to process exactly what they were seeing once they got there.

Kagome at Itsumi were both laughing wildly, each wrapped in the other's arms for warmth as they sat at the edge of the pool shivering. Both were soaking wet.

"What in the world?" Ginta muttered as he felt Koga and Hakkaku run past him, frantically trying to get to, and look over, their mates.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Koga roared, as he dropped to his knees next to Kagome. "Are you drunk?!" He asked, in disbelief.

"Are you insane?" Hakkaku growled, as he pulled Itsumi into his arms.

"We just needed to cool off." Itsumi said, through a fit of hysterical laughter.

Kagome couldn't help it. Between Koga's horrified expression and Itsumi's stupid answer, she lost herself in a thunderous roar of laughter.

"You really are drunk!" Koga spat, as he pulled Kagome into his arms and attempted to smell her.

The faint scent that he picked up wasn't of alcohol and his body immediately began responding to it.

"God damn it, Kagome." He growled, as he stood up with her cradled securely in his arms. He couldn't help but size her up. She was cold, wet and shivering. Her clothes clung tightly to her and he could make out every sumptuous curve of her body. She was smiling at him seductively from behind hooded lids as her loose, wet hair stuck against her face. As if to tease him, she ran her tongue coyly over her bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.

"Do I displease you, _Lord Koga_?" She said softly, as she pouted up at him coyly. "Are you going to punish me?" She purred, in a low whisper against his chest.

The words had the intended effect and Kagome could feel Koga tense, however he said nothing as he took off with her in the direction of the house.

Ginta shook his head and his eyes turned accusingly in Annika's direction.

"What happened?" He growled. "Why are they acting like this?" He asked, as he watched Itsumi trace a line of sensual kisses down Hakkaku's jaw while he carried her back to the house.

"They were talking about sex with their mates." Annika answered. "They got very worked up."

"But you didn't?"

"No, my love. That would only have happened if I had a chance to talk about you, which I didn't." She said, convincingly.

Ginta beamed at her. "You are an amazing woman, do you know that?" He said tenderly as he pulled her into his arms. "I'll never get tired of you."

Annika giggled. "Everyone's hormones are affecting you."

"Probably, but I don't need to be influenced by a bunch of hormones to admit how much I love my mate."

Annika immediately wrapped her arms around him and took his mouth in a soft and possessive kiss.

* * *

As soon as Koga was able to get Kagome back into Ginta's kitchen, he took off with Hakkaku in search of towels.

Ginta and Annika took their time getting back inside, and when they finally did, Kagome noticed that both were breathless.

 _At least someone got laid!_ Her mind thought.

Apparently Itsumi came to the same conclusion as she shivered beside her.

"She wasn't even worked up to begin with." She whispered, laughing. "No fair."

"Kagome, you still owe me a story." Annika said, as she approached her.

"I'll tell you now, because, no offense, I don't want to argue with Koga over it." She said, smiling.

"Go ahead." Annika said, as she pulled up a chair. "Before your mate gets back."

"My second kiss with Inuyasha was after we destroyed Naraku and the jewel. It was my last moment in the Feudal Era and my very last moment with him." She whispered. "We had won. He killed Naraku and I made the selfless wish that was needed in order to eliminate the jewel." She said, hurriedly. "The world around us faded to black and we flew to each other, desperately taking one another in our arms. We clung to each other before Inuyasha leaned down and without hesitation, finally kissed _me_. We stayed that way, floating in space and holding each other tight, before he faded away from me and I was transported back to my own time. That was the last moment we ever spent together in this life and it is very precious." She whispered.

Annika smiled. "Cherish it always and thank you for sharing it with me."

"Hell, if you really want to hear some romantic stories, you'd let me tell you about Koga one of these days. He blows all the stuff with Inuyasha, and everyone else for that matter, away. Someone should really write a book about _him_." She said, happily.

Annika laughed. "I'd like that." She admitted.

Before Kagome could say anything else, Koga loudly stomped into the kitchen and threw a towel over her head. Hakkaku followed closely behind him, only he decided to gently wrap his towel around Itsumi's shoulders.

"You're right, Kagome. Koga seems to be most romantic." Annika said, laughing.

Kagome growled and pulled the towel off of her head and wrapped herself up in it.

"We're going to go. The kids have school tomorrow and it's getting late." Hakkaku said to Ginta and Annika.

"Us, too." Kagome said, as she stood up. "It's not that late and we don't have kids, but we have private business to attend to."

Koga looked at her suspiciously, but said nothing.

"We have to do this again soon." Ginta said, as he took Kagome in a soft hug.

"We will, I promise. I had a lot of fun." Kagome said, softly. "And thank you, Annika. The food was lovely and you put so much work into everything. It really was such a pleasure meeting you."

Annika brightened at the compliments. "The pleasure was all mine." She said, as she too, took Kagome in a hug.

* * *

After everyone had said goodbye, and after Koga had, as promised, posed for dozens of pictures with all of the children, Kagome grabbed Koga's hand and attempted to hurriedly drag him to the car.

As soon as the wolves that surrounded the property began barking around her, she immediately froze before once again pressing herself against Koga for protection.

"Do you mind telling me exactly what is going on with you?" He rumbled.

"Maybe later." She mumbled, as she took a deep breath of his scent. "I just want to enjoy you, as soon as possible."

"I can tell." He muttered. "What the hell got into you back there?"

"I just needed to cool down." She answered, honestly.

"So you jumped into a freezing cold pool in the middle of the winter?" He spat.

"Yes, I did. There was no other option."

"I could smell your arousal in that kitchen. Just what the hell were you females up to?" He growled, angrily. "Let me guess, you were telling more stories about your precious Inuyasha who you loved so very much? Was talking about him turning you women on?" Koga hissed.

Kagome immediately pulled away from him and hurriedly walked to the car in silence, throwing her blue protective shield over her as she did so.

"I asked you a question." Koga said in a low whisper, as he closed in behind her.

Kagome sighed and focused on his energy, immediately launching her tracking powers and grabbing a hold of his very soul.

As the connective glow engulfed him, Kagome sensed as he immediately relaxed, a low growl of submission immediately escaping from his mouth.

As Koga stood stupified, she used the opportunity to quickly open the passenger door and slide back the seat before she turned on him. Without any warning, she grabbed him roughly by the shirt and pulled him towards her.

The quick and angry movement caused Koga's eyes to widen in surprise, and as he became disoriented, she quickly bumped the back of his knee with her calf, effectively sweeping his leg out from under him.

When Koga began to fall, she used the momentum to spin him around and throw him into the car, slamming the door closed angrily in his face as he gaped at her.

 _Stay calm._ Her mind ordered, as she looked down at the keys that she had managed to swipe from Koga's pocket.

She attempted to take a calming breath before she walked over to, and opened, the driver's door. Once inside, she quickly readjusted the seat and didn't spare Koga a single glance before she turned the key in the ignition and sped off into the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 10

Koga, who was still glowing within Kagome's spiritual connection, quickly fastened his seatbelt as his angry mate pushed his WRX to max speed once she entered onto the highway.

"Would you slow down? You're going to get us killed."

"I know how to drive, Koga." Kagome said angrily, as she attempted to push the car even harder.

 _I'm in big trouble again._ He thought to himself. _Why the hell can't I keep my mouth shut? Why did I have to antagonize her about Inuyasha?_

A few minutes passed before Kagome downshifted and worked her way over to the right lane, she was obviously headed to the apartment that would serve as their base over the next week.

Koga said nothing as Kagome sped along; exiting the highway and taking a sharp right turn before slowing down and taking hard a left.

"Look. I'm sorry, okay?" Koga said quickly, as he felt the G forces of the car push him against the door.

Kagome said nothing; she instead kept her eyes focused on the road ahead.

 _Here we go again._

"Baby, please talk to me." He calmly requested. "I really don't want to fight."

"You always want to fight." Kagome spat, as her face twisted into a scowl.

"I really don't though…" Koga said, his sentence interrupted by the hard stop of the car.

Kagome immediately exited from the car and made her way to the apartment, leaving him behind. She worked quickly to unlock the door and push her way inside. Once she entered, she was greeted to the sight of the suitcases that they had hurriedly left by the door.

They hadn't even had enough time to initially explore the place when they first arrived. They had quickly dropped off their luggage and shot straight over to Ginta's house.

Kagome closed her eyes and tried to take a centering breath as she felt Koga timidly enter the apartment behind her.

The moment that Kagome heard him come into the space and lock the door behind him, she turned on him, once again roughly grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him backwards into the door.

Koga's eyes widened, but before he could start rambling, like he usually did when he became nervous, Kagome harshly pushed her mouth against his and took him in a fierce and demanding kiss, effectively halting any futile efforts that he could have made to speak.

Kagome felt his heart frantically pumping against his chest as her mate obviously tried to process the current situation. She could have smiled, if she weren't so angry with him. However, she wasn't going to let Koga's earlier idiocy spoil her mood. She'd save being mad at him for later.

Kagome used her free hand to quickly reach up and release his thick onyx locks from the confines of his hair tie. Once she completed the task, her hands reached upwards and took a hold of the collar of his shirt for a moment, before roughly tearing the material and ripping it off of his body.

The action had Koga frantically pushing away from her just so that he could study her, his mouth slack from shock. If it hadn't been for the calming hold that Kagome currently had him in with her spiritual connection, he probably would have gone into shock.

Kagome didn't spare him a glance; she instead fisted his belt with her right hand and used it to swing him around, pushing him along while he stumbled backwards, as she tried to locate a bedroom.

Luckily for both of them, one appeared to her right and she pushed Koga straight into it before roughly pushing him down onto the bed.

"Kagome!" He shouted in utter surprise. "What the hell has gotten into you?!" He demanded, as he struggled to quickly sit up.

He didn't get the chance though, because Kagome immediately jumped on top of him, furiously undoing his belt and pulling it free of him.

Koga barely understood what was happening as she expertly worked the black leather strap around his wrists and fastened them to the bed's iron headboard, tightly.

As his head tilted backwards to inspect what she had done, his boxers and pants were smoothly removed from him within seconds.

Koga's head reactively flew back down, but before he could get a read of his mate's face, her lips were parting his and her tongue was forcibly taking him. He was immediately aware of her naked body pressing against him, her legs squeezing his hips tightly beneath her.

To say that Kagome had utterly devoured him would have been an understatement. Her tongue frantically ran over each of his sharp and jagged teeth. Her reckless abandon in her possessive claiming of his mouth in this way, had caused her to cut her tongue. However, she was so lost in him that the throbbing pain actually felt good.

The taste of her blood had Koga's tongue immediately pulling at hers, attempting to sweep over the bitter and erotic liquid and pull it down into his throat so that it could somehow become a part of him.

When he finally succeeded, a low rumble of approval sounded from deep within his chest and the scent of earth and of freshly cut wood soon flooded the air.

 _I need to breathe._ Kagome thought frantically as she tried to separate from him.

The moment that she had freed her mouth she bitterly missed the contact. As she struggled to catch her breath, she scooted down his body and began to bite and suck on the exposed skin of his chest, working her way down to his chiseled stomach, while he groaned loudly beneath her.

She began to grind her chest against his erection as she smoothed her hands up and over his chest, loosing herself in the feel of each and every muscle as they tightened beneath her needy ministrations.

 _You are so fucking hot._ She thought to herself as she tried to fight against the searing heat that was overtaking her mind.

Every time that Koga arched against her and groaned, she swore she was going to lose what little remained of her sanity. Usually, she tried to somehow indulge in him first, but right now, her desperate need for release was just too great, and the diamond hard length that was pressed demandingly into her chest was the only thing that was going to free her.

As Koga fought against the restraints that were holding his hands at bay, Kagome harshly bit his hip, causing him to jerk and focus his attention back on her.

She was staring at him as if she were going to rip him to shreds. The look was so incredibly predatory in nature that it caused Koga's breath to hitch and his cock to weep in anticipation.

With speed that she shouldn't have been capable of, she was once again on him. She didn't even bother to tease the length of him with her slick, warm folds. Before Koga's mind could even resister her movements, she was groaning against his chest and pushing him impatiently inside of her.

"Slow down." He growled, as his hands roughly pulled at his restraints, desperate to get them off. With each thrust of her hips he could feel her pleasure, along with his own, washing over him through their shared connection.

"No." She hissed defiantly, as she began to furiously pump against him.

"Kagome, please." He begged, as he felt her insides begin to tense.

 _Already?_ Koga wondered as he took in the musky scent of her arousal. It was embedded with such deep need.

Kagome sat up and pressed her hands against his chest, using them to support her as she now slammed into him. Her tight inner muscles had him in a heated vice and were unrelenting.

Koga groaned and he fought the urge to surrender to the pure ecstasy she was filling him with. He desperately wanted to watch her ride him, but he was struggling to keep his orgasm at bay until he was fully able to please her. But, the shared pleasure that was rolling over them was forcing his hand.

"You want to put a baby inside of me. Don't you, _Lord Koga_?" She growled, as she pumped against him.

"God… yes." He groaned, as his hips began to aggressively slam up against her and his hands pulled ferociously at the tight leather restraints that she had unforgivably tied him in.

The question should have given him pause. It should have had some type of halting effect on him. But, it didn't. Instead, Koga felt his inner beast abruptly awaken at the profound thing that she was suddenly seeking from him, with such a simple little question.

"Then prove it to me, _Lord Koga_." Kagome ordered, the words falling from her lips in the midst of a low moan.

At her words, Koga's inner wolf, his true self, viciously took control of his body; snarling and howling ferociously in his mind as it sought to physically, and aggressively, claim _his_ alpha female.

A loud snap echoed within the room signifying Koga's forceful release from Kagome's binding. His torso flew forward and his arms tightened almost painfully around her waist as they possessively wrapped around her; his dark demonic aura quickly dominating her. Koga's mouth instantly dropped to the crook of her neck and he slid his elongated canine teeth slowly against the soft skin that he found there for only a moment, before he quickly lowered his head and, without hesitation, emphatically sunk his sharp upper incisors into her.

Kagome should have screamed. She should have scrambled to get away.

If she had been anyone else, she probably would have. But, she wasn't, and she certainly didn't.

Instead she threw her head back and moaned in approval while her arms instinctually wrapped around his neck, anchoring him to her, while her hands roughly fisted his hair.

To say that Koga had been absolutely ravenous would have been an understatement. As his mouth greedily pulled at her, taking in deep draws of her blood, he rolled his tongue over her pulse point after each hungry swallow. As he lost himself in the taste of her, his hips worked desperately to force his cock as far as he could deep inside of her.

"Tell me you love me, Koga." Kagome demanded in a sharp whisper against his ear, as she met each and every one of his powerful thrusts. "I need to hear it. Tell me, baby." She ordered, her voice cracking as her eyes squeezed closed.

Koga's mouth immediately released her.

"I love you, Kagome. I am yours." Koga grumbled, in a low demonic echo, while he frantically tried to breathe her in.

The words had the intended affect and Kagome's insides clenched down around him forcing her almost painfully over the edge.

She cried out Koga's name as she came hard against him; her body angrily shuddering as she flew to a mindless, yet familiar, place. Instead of collapsing against him, her body forced her along and she was barely able to breathe before a second orgasm suddenly overtook her, and this time, Koga joined her.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she felt the final sensations of Koga's two additional orgasms rush through her body and deep into her soul. Utterly exhausted, she finally crumpled against Koga's chest and cuddled into him.

She didn't know how many more minutes had passed before she became vaguely aware that he was speaking to her.

"Were you serious… about what you said?" He whispered in between rapid breaths.

She ignored him and several minutes passed before he spoke again.

"Kagome?"

"No. I wasn't." She mumbled.

 _Maybe if I pretend I'm sleeping, he'll drop it._ She thought behind closed lids.

She didn't know what had come over her in that moment. Annika's previous revelation about what Koga's bonding scent had been communicating to her earlier that evening had stuck freshly in her mind. That combined with her desperate need for release had made her mindless. The words just seemed to tumble from her lips before she could stop them.

Koga's immediate and raw physical response to them had completely blown her away.

"Then why did you say those things?" He grumbled.

Kagome said nothing.

"I know that you're awake."

 _Nice try. I'm not falling for that trick._ She thought as she relaxed her breathing. _I'm still very pissed off at you._

"Why in the world did you say that?" He whispered as he rolled her over onto her back while he took his place above her, supporting his weight on his forearms.

He leaned on his left forearm while he raised his right hand so that he could brush her loose hair gently away from her angelic face while he studied her.

After several seconds passed, he swept his hand slowly down her throat and over her shoulder, his clawed digits immediately halting in their loving trail as they coasted over the barely noticeable indented skin that could be found on her upper arm.

He noticed the barely visible scars that marked both of her arms back in her hotel room the day after he had found her again, and he never once paid them any mind since then. He had always thought they had just been an old injury of some sort that she had received through her work.

 _Inuyasha managed to permanently mark her._ His mind hissed. _He had hurt her._

"Asshole." He spat, as he glared at the invisible marks in the dark.

"Excuse me?!" Kagome said, angrily.

Her voice made him jump.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"I was." She mumbled. "Until you called me an asshole, asshole."

"I didn't call you that."

"Then who the hell are you talking to? I'm the only one here."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Alright. Tell the ghost that I'd prefer it if you two took your private conversation to another room."

Koga chuckled and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck.

"He's an asshole for doing this to you." He said possessively, as his hand gently wrapped around her arm, his claws aligning themselves with her scars and softly squeezing.

Kagome sighed and pushed her arm away from his grasp, moving the limb under a pillow. "He wasn't in control." She said, softly.

"Don't pull away from me." He said seriously. "I need to touch you."

"Then touch somewhere else." She said, frowning.

Koga sucked his teeth. "I don't want to touch anywhere else." He said, as he lifted his head and pulled her arm back down and away from it's hiding place. "He hurt you." He whispered, as he dragged his nose over her upper arm and placed soft kisses against each of the marks.

"He didn't mean to, Koga. He was trying to hold on to me. He wasn't in his right mind at the time."

"When we get back, let's see if Anatomy can do something about these scars." Koga said smoothly in between kisses, obviously ignoring her.

"Why? You can't even see them unless I point them out. You've never cared about them before."

"I never knew that Inuyasha was responsible for them before." He said angrily, as his head whipped around so that he could face her.

"So now they disgust you?" She said, as she met his eyes defiantly.

 _Tread carefully._

Koga's face immediately softened. "No, baby. Nothing about you could ever disgust me." He said quickly as he changed his tone, his voice becoming a low whisper. "I just don't want his hands permanently on you, that's all."

Kagome sighed. "Why don't you just go over the scars with your own claws, then?"

"What?! Are you crazy?! I don't want to cut you!" Koga said, completely baffled. "I would never hurt you."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him.

"Never intentionally, anyway." He corrected, as he now remorsefully studied the bite wound that he had left within the crook of her neck. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, it felt… good." Kagome said, softly. "Am I bleeding?"

"No, I didn't go that deep." He said, as he placed a soft kiss against the obvious mark that he had left behind. "It won't scar. I promise." He mumbled as he once again returned his eyes back to hers.

"I'm glad. We wouldn't want to have your mouth permanently on me now, would we?"

Koga took a deep breath. "You're still angry with me from before, aren't you?" He said, as he held her eyes. "I got jealous tonight and it made me feel insecure. I'm sorry."

"I know you are and I know you can't help it." Kagome said as she squeezed her eyes shut. "But, I honestly don't know how to get through to you when you're like that anymore without grabbing onto your soul and forcibly calming you down. I'm at a complete loss here."

"Don't say that like I'm a lost cause, Kagome. I've gotten a little better. I honestly do try…" He said sadly as he studied her face. "I know that I'm difficult to be with sometimes…"

"The understatement of the year."

"…but I'd do anything for you. I'd give my life for you, Kagome. Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Kagome sighed, but didn't open her eyes. "I do know. You've proven it countless times and I can feel it. I have no doubts about your love or your devotion to me."

"I can't own your past." He whispered, repeating his former beta's earlier words to him. "But, I'd like to." He admitted.

"I get it. A part of me feels the same way. Yet, another part of me is actually grateful that I don't."

"Why?" Koga mumbled against her. "I'd give anything just to be your everything."

"How is it that you can so easily say all of the things that you do?" She wondered in awe. "I wish I could do that. For someone so arrogant, you have zero hesitation in voicing your feelings and making yourself completely vulnerable. Granted, I wish there was a filter sometimes." She admitted.

"Being true to yourself does not make you vulnerable." He said honestly, as he studied her. "I trust my instincts and I act upon them."

"I struggle with that."

"Why?"

"Because allowing myself to say things like that out loud or permitting myself to become emotional makes me feel weak." She mumbled.

Koga didn't miss a beat. "You are the strongest person I know, Kagome."

"You just proved my point."

Koga sighed. "I _have_ seen you emotional, Kagome. Although it's only been a handful of times, and it's extremely rare, you have allowed me to see you upset and you have discussed your insecurities with me. I take _that_ into account when I say that you are the strongest person I know. I'm not talking about your 'always in control' agent Wraith persona right now. I'm only talking about you, Kagome."

"What does my bonding scent communicate to you?" She blurted out randomly, desperate to change the subject.

"Your… what? What does that have to do with anything right now?" Koga sputtered, completely taken off guard.

"Annika said that bonding scents communicate many different things. What does mine communicate?"

"Talk about complete avoidance of anything that makes you feel uncomfortable." Koga growled.

"I registered everything that you said. I didn't ignore you."

"You sure have a funny way of showing it. You completely blew me off just now."

"What would you like me to say?"

"I'd like you to say that I'm worth that to you!" He growled.

"Worth what?" She asked curiously, finally opening her eyes to look at him.

"That I'm worth embracing all of those things that make you feel weak."

"Why would I want to embrace things that make me feel weak?"

Koga growled in frustration. "Because I also love the Kagome that doesn't have a bunch of walls up all of the damn time. You know her. She's the one that only seems to visit me right after we have sex and she only sticks around until we fall asleep."

"So you don't love the usual 'before sex' me?"

"I said 'also'."

Kagome giggled. "I see what you did there. Nice preemptive strike."

"I want you to openly share your inner thoughts and feelings with me more. I want to know everything that there is to know about you and it's hard to do that when you keep me at arm's length all the time."

"You really feel that I keep you at arms length?"

"I'm telling you that you do." Koga pushed, immediately becoming angry. "I had to hear from Inspect about how much my reputation really bothers you, because you never tried to talk to me directly about it. I had to hear from Frisk about how much my escapades with the twins messed with your confidence, because you never mentioned anything to me about it. I had to practically watch you have a nervous breakdown just to find out how much you feared losing me when that psychic broke into your dreams a few months ago. Otherwise, it would have never been deemed worthy enough for you to bring up." He said, angrily. "Aside from the one liners that you feed me to describe your vulnerable feelings, I'm definitely kept in the dark about everything that bothers you, when I should be the one comforting you and lending you my strength, like you always do for me. I'm not a psychic, Kagome. I never really know what's going on in your head. This isn't the first time that I've asked you to let me in. But, you're forever hiding from me."

Kagome felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

"You're right." She said softly as her hand flew up to cup his cheek. "Everything you said is true. I know it's no excuse, but it's really hard for me to go there with you."

Koga immediately scowled at her. "It seems pretty easy for you to talk to everyone else about what you're feeling. You even fucking confide in Sesshomaru." He spat. "Sesshomaru! The most cold hearted and evil asshole alive on this planet, and don't you dare deny it. I don't know what you've told him, but you've obviously told him something if he invited you to stay in his suite while we were fighting. And it definitely explains why he looked like he wanted to tear me to shreds that day, when I had tried to talk to you outside. He obviously came out there so that he could attempt to 'protect' you _from_ _me_. I'm not a complete moron."

 _As much as I love to accuse you of being an out of control jerk all the time, I'm actually just as bad, if not worse, in my own special way._ Kagome worriedly thought to herself.

As the silence stretched out between them Kagome began to panic.

 _You have to say something. Just fucking be honest with yourself for once. Why do you hide from him, Kagome?_

"It's easy for me to go to others because I don't care about what anyone else thinks of me." She admitted. "But, I do care a little too much about what _you_ think of me, Koga."

"That's ridiculous!"

"I'm trying to talk to you right now and you're immediately telling me that my feelings are ridiculous! This _is_ hard for me, Koga. You can't ask me to come to you and then quickly downplay my feelings the moment that I finally do!" She hissed. "For once in your life can you please just shut up, be supportive and fucking listen?!" She huffed as she felt her cheeks heat.

Thankfully the words had the intended effect and Koga immediately quieted.

"I'm afraid that by sharing my moments of weakness with you, that I'd either be giving you way too much power over me or that you'd casually dismiss my feelings in some way, like you just did now. I'm also afraid that by doing so, I'll somehow disgust you or I'll instead manage to overinflate your already giant ego." She admitted.

Koga shook his head. "That's…"

"Ridiculous?" Kagome whispered, angrily.

Koga closed his eyes and took a breath. "No. No, it's not. Your fears and feelings are not ridiculous. I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel like they were."

Kagome nodded and broke her hand's contact with his face before once again closing her eyes. "I promise that I'll step out of my comfort zone and that I'll try to talk to you, even if it makes me uncomfortable. You deserve that. You really do." She whispered as a stray tear escaped from behind her closed lid and trickled down her face in the dark.

Koga dropped down from his raised position on his forearms and snaked his arms around her, gently pulling her with him as he rolled over onto his side. As soon as he did so, he cupped her cheek, tilting her head upwards while he stroked the trail that the lone tear had left behind with his thumb.

"I'll try harder not to overreact about everything. It's partly my fault that you're so uncomfortable talking to me about your feelings in the first place." He said guiltily. "I'm sorry."

Kagome remained silent.

"I hate that I make you cry." He whispered. "I never want to be the one to upset you so, yet I seem to excel at it." He mumbled against her.

"Like I said. I really do care what you think. A little too much."

"I know, baby." He said softly as he began to run his hands through her hair. "I know."

Several minutes passed in silence before Koga spoke again.

"The only time that I've ever cried in my life was when you died." He said, in a low and sad voice. "It was the most painful thing that I have ever experienced."

"Koga…"

"I was the one that found you. You were lying in a pool of drying blood. There was so much blood…" He trailed off, as his voice cracked. "It was everywhere, Kagome. And your eyes... they were coldly staring up at me. They were so lifeless and empty."

"Koga, please. Don't relive this."

"I need you to hear this."

As Kagome quieted, he continued on.

"It broke me. It absolutely destroyed me. I had finally found you again and then I had lost you just as quickly. Before I even got to our apartment I knew that you were gone." He said pensively. "I felt your soul reaching out to me, trying to connect to me, and then I felt it abandon me and leave this world. It was so fucking cold, Kagome. I can't even describe it."

Koga took a moment to compose himself before he pushed forward.

"When I finally got to you, I took you in my arms and I cried my eyes out while I begged you to come back to me." He said, as he tightened his hold on her body. "I swore I would do anything that it took to bring you back."

"I know baby, you offered up your own life for mine." Kagome said gently as she began to draw soothing circles into his back. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. I truly am."

"I sought out Sesshomaru and I fell to my knees before him, begging that he'd help you." He admitted. "There was no giant ego that night, Kagome, only absolute humility."

"What?"

"He wasn't going to help and I was so desperate. I've never bowed to anyone in my entire life, but I did not hesitate to do so that night."

 _Fucking, Sesshomaru. I can't believe he put him through all of that. Especially when he went through the same thing with Rin!_ She thought angrily.

"He wanted to punish you because you reminded him of his failure with Rin, which most likely disgusted him." She mumbled into Koga's chest. "The sight of you begging probably disgusted him even more. It was probably the worst thing that you could have done."

"I reminded him of his failure?"

"He wasn't able to protect Rin. It's been seventy years and he still hasn't come to terms with her death. He blames himself." She said knowingly. "You told me that the Tenseiga was broken. Did you ever wonder how Sesshomaru could have allowed such a thing to happen to his most precious and secretly beloved sword?"

"No."

"He probably broke it." She concluded. "Actually, I know he broke it. He lost his shit when it could no longer bring Rin back and he punished it. Because that's how that man operates… by ruthlessly _punishing_." She said on a huff. "Seeing you going through the same thing that he once did, so shortly after he had mistook me for his late wife, it forced him to relive his similar experience. He intentionally dragged it out for as long as possible so that he could punish you... as well as punish _himself_."

"My wolves also killed Rin."

"Yea, you had that going for you, too." She said as she placed a tender kiss against his heart. "I'm sorry he put you through that. I really am."

When Koga remained silent she gently nuzzled into him. "Thank you for sharing your story with me and thank you for bringing me back. You never gave up on me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Koga placed a kiss against her forehead before he continued with his ministrations in her hair.

Several moments passed while they clung to each other, willing that time would somehow freeze, before Koga spoke to her again.

"Your bonding scent tells me that you are fertile. All day long." He whispered.

"What?"

"You wanted to know. You asked me. That's your answer."

"Well, I guess that makes sense seeing when my hormones are gathered. Christ. That must be really annoying."

"I love it." Koga admitted. "It is the most soothing and most beautiful scent I have ever smelled in my entire life."

"Oh." Kagome said, happily. "So, all it says is that my ovaries are open for business?"

Koga laughed. "Good health, high fertility, overpowering strength and fierce protection." He whispered. "That's what your scent is always offering up to me each and every day."

Kagome thought upon this and quickly determined that she was somewhat relieved.

"I have all my bases covered then." She said happily.

"You do." Koga agreed.

"Speaking of high fertility, you were communicating something similar back at Ginta's house tonight." Kagome said. "Annika told me."

"I was?"

"Yes, while I was playing with the baby and you were very obviously sizing me up."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"That's so embarrassing. Annika picked up on this?"

"Well, yea. Your bonding scent is hella strong, Koga. When it comes out, it blasts through the entire room. There's no way that anyone could miss it, especially not another wolf demon."

"What exactly did she say to you?"

"She said your scent was screaming that you desperately wanted to have children with me."

"So that's where _that_ came from." Koga said suspiciously as his eyes slightly narrowed. "That's why you said those things."

"I don't know what came over me." Kagome admitted. "I really don't. I was trying to turn you on and for some reason I decided to use that."

"Well, it worked. Not that I needed any help in that area to begin with, but you forced me to lose control."

Kagome smiled. "So I guess you're still dead set on starting a family one day."

"I am." He admitted. "I know that you're not ready and don't think I really am either. But, the thought of you carrying my child…" He said as he trailed off. "It does turn me on." He admitted, as he ground his instantly hardened length against her as if to prove his words. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Well, keep it in your fantasies, baby. We'd have to leave the organization if that ever were to happen. R.O.O.T isn't a place for families. If agents want that life, they need to retire and reenter the real world as civilians." She said, sadly.

"Would that really be so bad?"

"You've been doing this for over fifty years, Koga. I've only been at it for ten. I'm only twenty six years old and I'm not ready to give up my life just yet. I can't even picture myself as a civilian anymore. What would I do with myself? Stay home and take care of children all day? That's not the life I want. At least you could probably join the police force here."

"Why couldn't you as well?" Koga asked gently.

"It would feel like a step down. I'd be trading an elite team of specialized agents and bazookas for traffic tickets and a puny 9mm handgun." She said dejectedly.

"But we'd be together and we could start a family. We could hire a nanny for the kids so that we could both work. Our lives wouldn't be worse, they'd just be different, that's all."

"Yea, I'm not ready. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It doesn't hurt to talk about it. When the time comes, we'll have a plan. That's all." He said gently.

"You do look incredibly edible while holding a baby in your arms." She said softly. "It really is too bad that you hate children." She teased.

"I do _not_ hate children."

"Oh? Your former beta almost had a heart attack when he found out that you were allowed to hold his baby."

 _Fucking, Ginta and his big mouth._

Koga sucked his teeth. "People change, Kagome. I never really liked kids, but they've been growing on me lately. They're not all that bad. _Our_ children, when you're finally ready to have them, will be very much loved and protected. I can promise you that."

"Of course they will be. They'll have me as a mother." She said teasingly.

"Whatever." Koga snorted before he quieted, apparently lost in thought. "I can't wait to cover the walls of our home with their pictures."

"You really love photos."

"I do." Koga said quickly before he abruptly hesitated. "Speaking of pictures. When we get back home, can we please take down the picture that you have up of Inuyasha?" He asked timidly.

"What? Why?"

"I've always hated it, but I've tolerated it. But now, I really don't want that up in our house, Kagome."

Kagome was about to jump down his throat but stopped herself.

 _This is because he now knows that I've once told Inuyasha that I loved him._

"Alright."

"Really? You'll take it down? Just like that?"

"Yes. I wouldn't want pictures of you and Ayame up in our home. Even though Inuyasha and I _never_ got together. But after my story tonight, I'd understand why you wouldn't want it on display. I'll just hide it in my private box. You know the one, the one that you broke into."

"Thank you, baby. I really appreciate it." Koga whispered into her hair. "I never want to see that mutt's ugly face ever again."

Kagome sighed. "You _will_ see him again, babe. The very moment that you cross over, he'll be waiting for _you_. He seriously wants to kick your ass, Koga."

"He can get in line with everybody else."

Kagome immediately laughed.

"Can we take the pictures of Frisk down, too?" Koga continued.

Kagome sighed. "Those are _team_ pictures, Koga."

"You just said that you wouldn't want Ayame up in our house. So why is it okay to have Frisk? You were with him, Kagome."

"Fine. We can take those down too. Any other requests, Koga?" She said on a huff.

"Can we put your cartoon drawings up?"

"Huh?"

"The ones that were in your private box."

"You mean the ones that Shippo drew after you kidnapped me?"

"Oh, I thought that you drew them. Yea, those."

"Why is a drawing of Inuyasha alright, but an actual picture of him is not?" She asked curiously.

"Because those drawings favored me, not him." He said quickly. "With exception to the one showing the bird defeating me. But otherwise, they all showed that you were pretty sweet on me back then."

"That's because I was. I did favor you, Koga. Inuyasha used to accuse me of it all the time and everyone in my group would constantly hint about it, but I would never admit it to anyone nor would I ever admit it to myself. I thought I was in love with Inuyasha and you were one giant distraction." She said softly. "When I look back at all the signs…" She trailed off. "I did harbor some feelings for you."

"What signs? You could have fooled me."

"Do you remember the time that you tried to kill Inuyasha? The day that you were too stupid to listen to me about who really killed your comrades."

"Yea." Koga said, clearly remembering the events that happened that night.

"I could have easily stopped you. You do realize that, right?"

"Yea, right, Kagome."

"If I felt you less, I would have purified your ass immediately. I had so many opportunities to do just that over the very course of that horrific and brutal fight. The moment that you were about to drive your fist into Inuyasha's heart to kill him, I stood by, completely frozen. I did absolutely nothing to try to stop you."

"You were young, Kagome. You were probably just too scared to get involved."

"Do you remember what happened the moment that Kagura stepped onto the scene?" She said angrily. "Do you remember what happened the moment after that bitch had attacked _you_ , Koga?"

"You immediately shot at her with your sacred arrow." He whispered, his body tensing. "You didn't hesitate to try to protect _me_. The guy that, for all you knew, just killed the man that you thought you had loved." He said slowly. "Christ, Kagome. It was always me, wasn't it?" He said excitedly.

"I wouldn't get carried away, Koga. Don't go building up some giant theatrical fantasy in your head like you usually do." She chided. "I'm just realizing some of this myself right now and I'm trying to make sense of it all."

Koga ignored her.

"You were always nursing me back to health and protecting me back then, Kagome. Always." He said seriously, before his voice became pensive. "I really wish that I had met you first."

"I don't." Kagome said quickly.

Koga snorted. "Why do you feel that way?"

"Because if I had met you first and we had fallen in love, we wouldn't be together right now. I'd be long dead, Koga, probably from something as simple as a cold. The time that we would have had together would have been very short and I'd be without a bonding scent. Your unchecked bonding issues would have been a constant struggle in our relationship. Also, if things didn't turn out as they did, I never would have had the chance for the Tenseiga to share your time with me." She said honestly. "Plus, the sex probably would have sucked since neither of us would have known what we were doing."

Koga immediately laughed. "We wouldn't have had any of your stupid smut books around back then to teach us. We'd have to learn everything the old fashioned way, just like I did."

 _We could have just asked Ginta for some tips. Apparently the man is a legitimate sex God._ Kagome thought to herself.

"This was fate." Koga whispered. "Us finding each other again." He said in awe, as his arms tightened possessively around her.

"It was. This is probably my reward for my selfless sacrifice back then." She said wishfully. "Plus, I like the fact that we both got to experience our lives separately before coming together again. I don't want to own your past. As jealous as I get over the thought of prior women in your life receiving your affections, a part of me is glad that they existed because I feel like you're choosing me, not blindly defaulting to me."

"I guess that could make sense. But, I'd still rather that you only had me." He said conceitedly.

"Oh, Koga. Of course you do." Kagome said as she began to laugh.


	11. Chapter 11

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 11

It was only when Kagome was awoken to the sounds of birds cheerfully chirping outside of her window that she noticed Koga's warm body was no longer next to her on the bed.

 _He's probably off exploring._ She thought to herself, as she looked at the clock on the nightstand that signaled the time.

It was 7 o'clock.

 _I wish I were a morning person._ She mentally grumbled as she shifted down the mattress and dragged herself out of bed.

In looking around the room, she noticed that Koga had, at some point, brought their suitcases in and she scrambled to get over to hers.

In a few minutes time, she was dressed in simple civilian clothing; wearing an oversized fluffy white knitted sweater over simple blue jeans. She quickly brushed her long hair into a high ponytail before setting off to find her missing mate.

Koga wasn't very hard to find. All she had to do was follow the scent of breakfast over to the kitchen. As she entered the room, he had just finished plating the food.

"Good morning." He said cheerfully, as he crossed the space between them and took her lips in a sweet and chaste kiss. "This place is pretty cool. You should look around."

"I will after we eat." She said lovingly, while she glanced at her watch and sat down at the kitchen's small table.

Koga sat across from her and immediately began to feed her small bites of omelet from his plate, feeling content as he watched her happily accept them.

"You make me feel like a little kid when you do this." She said seriously, as she took another bite.

"I like feeding you."

"I know." She said giggling, before she offered him a bite off of her own plate.

Koga happily snatched it up.

"Today is mission day." He said, as he chewed the food, his eyes excitedly studying her. "It's time for you to spill. Why are we here?"

"I was going to wait for Trinity so that I could brief you both at the same time."

Koga frowned, obviously impatient.

"He should be here soon." She said softly, as she gently pushed his long bangs away from his face. "Plus, I'm supposed to be receiving some intelligence this morning." She said, as she once again glanced at her watch and finished off her plate.

"Intelligence? I thought this mission was off the books?"

"It _is_ off the books. R.O.O.T isn't supplying us with this information."

Koga's eyes widened. "Then who is?"

"Someone _else_." She said quickly, knowing full well that Koga's current level of intrigue wasn't going to be satiated for very long with her short answers.

While Koga angrily collected the plates, obviously attempting to hold back on further questioning, there was a quick knock on the door.

 _This is probably the information that I'm waiting on._ Kagome thought to herself as she flew over to the door and hurriedly opened it.

There was nobody there.

 _That's odd. Maybe some kids are playing a joke?_ She thought to herself.

"Down here." A familiar voice whispered, causing Kagome to lower her gaze and finally notice the small figure before her that stood no taller than her knee. He was dressed in a long, flowing and hooded black robe and carrying a large manila envelope with him.

"Hurry up and let me in! I can't be seen, you discourteous wench!" The annoying, high pitched voice said insultingly.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief and stepped backwards, allowing the small figure access to the apartment, which he quickly took.

"Why are you dressed like a medieval European monk, Jaken?" She asked, after she closed the door behind her.

She was desperately attempting to suppress a laugh.

Jaken immediately stiffened, apparently somewhat dismayed that she had so quickly identified him while he wore his most imaginative disguise.

"I am _not_ dressed like a monk!" He said, angrily. "I can't be seen scampering about in the human world. I do not blend in." He said, as if she were stupid, while angrily pushing his hood from his head and arrogantly staring up at her face.

The moment Jaken's eyes met Kagome's, he frantically scrambled backwards, tripping over the long fabric of his robe and falling unceremoniously onto the floor.

Kagome immediately flew into a fit of laughter at the sight of him.

"What the…" Koga said, as he poked his head into the living room, attempting to see what all the ruckus was about.

His eyes quickly focused on the little green demon that had once served as Sesshomaru's personal attendant. He had not seen Jaken in several centuries.

Jaken did not pay Koga any mind, not noticing that the nosey wolf demon had not only invited himself into the living room, but was now kneeling near him and rudely staring at him.

"Lady Rin…" Jaken whispered, as he openly gaped at Kagome. "This can't be…" He said before his voice trailed off.

The words immediately halted Kagome's laughter.

"No, not, Rin. Kagome." She said, softly. "Sesshomaru did tell you who you were coming here to talk to today, didn't he?"

"But…" Jaken stammered, not blinking as he studied her.

"I know we look identical, but I am not her." She said soothingly, as if she were speaking to an upset child.

Several moments passed before Jaken dropped his eyes and sniffled, very obviously upset.

Kagome immediately took pity on him. "Didn't Sesshomaru warn you about my appearance before you got here?"

"Lord Sesshomaru most certainly did not. He did remind me of who you were, but he said nothing about your likeness to Lady Rin." He said, angrily.

Kagome sighed. "Most likely, on purpose."

"Indeed."

After the exchange, Koga finally tore his eyes away from Jaken and studied Kagome.

 _If even Jaken could have mistaken her for Rin, then Kagome probably wasn't exaggerating when she once said that they could have passed for identical twins._ He thought.

Jaken slowly got up and brushed himself off, obviously trying somehow stop staring at Kagome, but failing miserably.

"This explains everything." He muttered to himself, as if lost in thought.

"What explains everything?" Kagome asked, now completely confused.

"This explains why he left." Jaken said sadly, as he looked down at the floor. "This is why he chose to fully dedicate himself to his hobby."

"Can you speak in a way that makes sense?" Kagome huffed, as she began to lose patience.

"He has found a way to see his beloved Lady Rin again..." Jaken said, calmly. "…and he relocated so that he could indulge himself in his discovery."

"But, I am not her. I do not act like her, I do not speak like her, and I certainly do not smell like her. We are _not_ the same person."

Jaken shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Lord Sesshomaru could never speak of trivial matters such as heartache or loss. But, I have severed under him for a very long time. Rin's abrupt passing shattered his frigid heart. Your face probably eases his suffering in some way." He said, as he sadly looked upon her. "It surely eases mine." He admitted.

"That would explain why he _has_ to see you a thousand times a day!" Koga said angrily, as he quickly stood up and walked over to Kagome, apparently intent on starting an argument.

Kagome placed her hand gently against Koga's cheek and held his eyes as he approached her.

"Relax. We talked about this, remember?" She said, calmly. "No overreacting. You promised."

Koga crossed his arms across his chest and pouted, but didn't pursue the argument he had initially been so intent on having.

When seeing that Koga had calmed, Kagome hesitantly directed her attention back over to Jaken who was still staring at her. "You are here to give me something." She said, attempting to remind him of the purpose for his visit.

Jaken blinked a few times before seemingly snapping out of his trance. "That is correct. I am supposed to give you this!" He said happily, as he passed the manila envelope over to her. "In addition to the information that is provided in there, there are also throwaway phones included within. My information is preprogrammed into each. If, for any reason, you should need something, contact me and I will supply it."

"We're going to need weapons."

"There are plenty in the garage." Koga advised. "You need to take a tour of the place when you get a chance."

Jaken nodded. "You are correct. That has already been taken care of."

"Thank you for dropping this off. I am sure I will be in touch if anything comes up." Kagome said, as she looked at the large and heavy envelope.

"Memorize the contents within that package and destroy the information once you are done with it." Jaken ordered before he replaced his hood onto his head.

"Will do. This isn't my first rodeo."

"Good luck to you." Jaken said quickly, before positioning himself in front of the door.

Koga and Kagome stared at him for a few moments, before Kagome's brain kicked in and she moved to open the door for him.

 _He can't reach the knob!_ She reminded herself.

As soon as Jaken was provided with exit, he took off in a hurry, quickly rushing across the property.

Koga and Kagome simultaneously shuffled over to the window so that they could watch him leave.

It wasn't long before a black van pulled up alongside of him. The moment its large door slid open, Jaken jumped inside and the van took off.

As the van disappeared, a new car made its way down the street and parked in their apartment's driveway.

"Looks like Trinity has finally arrived." Kagome mumbled, as she watched a man who couldn't have been older than his late twenties exit the car. He had short white hair that was teased into messy spikes atop his head. The remainder of his scalp was buzzed short and there were intricate designs shaved across the expanse of it. He wore a black leather trench coat that fell down to his ankles and when he looked up at the apartment, Kagome noticed that his eyes were completely white and without pupils. There were two lines shaved into his left eyebrow and several earrings encased the shells of both ears.

The man grabbed a suitcase from the trunk of his car and took off towards their front door.

"He looks scary." Kagome whispered to herself as she moved quickly to allow Trinity entrance.

When she opened the door, Trinity moved quickly to enter and closed the door silently behind him. Once inside, he looked at her expectantly before focusing his colorless gaze over on Koga.

"I am presuming that you are agent Trinity." Kagome said smoothly, as she watched the man size her mate up. "I am agent Wraith and this is agent Fang." She said, as she pointed to Koga.

A few seconds of silence went by before she spoke again.

"Yes, he is a demon. I am very well aware… and so is he."

Trinity smiled and turned to her, offering his hand. "Glad to hear it. I wasn't filled in on your level of mastery over your powers."

After Kagome shook his hand, he turned to Koga and offered him his hand as well. "It is nice to meet you."

Koga nodded and shook the offered appendage.

"Are we supposed to be practicing on you?" Trinity asked him, innocently.

"Practicing what?" Koga asked, puzzled.

"Purification techniques." Trinity said, seriously.

Koga ignored him and immediately looked over to Kagome.

"He's here now." He said with a tone of impatience. "Can you finally tell us what this mission is about?"

Kagome nodded. "Trinity, I know that you were informed that you would be on a mission to train me over the next week, but that is only partly true."

Trinity stared at her and Kagome felt ill at ease by the blankness of his eyes.

"We are on an off the books mission that was assigned by the General himself. Before I get into the specifics, I need you both to know that this mission will require a memory wipe upon completion. If that bothers either of you, tell me now and we will find suitable replacements."

 _Agent Wraith has finally arrived._ Koga thought to himself as he watched Kagome's work persona animatedly come to life while speaking.

"I'm fine with that." Koga said, quickly.

"This sounds interesting. I'm in." Trinity said, as a devilish smile stretched across his face.

"Thank you." Kagome said, quickly.

"We are here to provide protection to two gifted individuals; a brother and sister, actually." Kagome said. "One of these individuals has recently been attacked by a defunct religious group. We believe that the name of this group is, 'The Order', but that has yet to be confirmed. The Order is trying to erase all traces of the gifted from this planet. By doing so, they most likely believe that they are purifying the world and restoring it to its former state." Kagome advised, as she began to open Jaken's manila envelope.

This information immediately rang a bell in Koga's mind. _This is related to the body that we just investigated in Tokyo!_

Kagome reached into the envelope and removed three phones, placing them on the couch before reaching back in and pulling out a thick stack of papers that had been clipped together.

The first page was a written summary and she quickly scanned it before speaking.

"Mei Ishii is the name of the woman that was attacked. She is thirty years old and is an aspiring actress, trying to make it big on talent alone, without relying on her wealthy family's influence. She lives alone in an estate on Temple Street, a few minutes from here. She is able to control the wind, has accelerated healing abilities and has expert level mastery of the katana. A member of The Order broke into her house and she quickly dispatched him using her sword."

"Good for her." Trinity said, as he committed the information to memory.

"Her brother, Yuu Ishii, lives across the street from her on a separate estate. He works as a consultant for Tsuki Industries in the energy sector. He is twenty eight years old and has accelerated healing abilities along with enhanced reflexes and speed. He also has a…". Kagome hesitated for a moment before continuing. "…superior sense of smell." She finished, before scanning the rest of the document. "Like his sister, he also lives alone and is expertly skilled in the use of the katana."

"At least they don't sound completely helpless." Koga said, happily.

"They don't. However Mei seems to have been left overly paranoid after her recent attack and the secret security detail that had originally been assigned to guard her, quit." Kagome said, seriously. "She almost succeeded in killing one of her guards and it is very likely that she could present a similar problem to us, as well."

"How do we handle that?" Koga asked, curiously.

"The specifics in handling this case were left at my discretion. That being said, I believe that it is in everyone's best interest if we notify Mei and Yuu of our protective presence. I also think it would be best to inform them of what we know about The Order. Of course, we cannot not say anything about R.O.O.T when we do." Kagome said, as she turned the page of document that was in her hand.

"How do you want to handle their protection? Will we be rotating shifts?" Trinity asked, thoughtfully.

"Yea…" Kagome said shakily before completely trailing off, her eyes becoming wide and terrified as she stared at the paper that she was holding in her hands.

A few minutes of silence passed.

"Wraith?" Koga said hesitantly, as he studied her.

"Please excuse me." Kagome huffed, as she turned around and took off, leaving the men exchanging confused glances with one another.

 _Something's wrong._ Koga thought to himself worriedly before he turned his attention over to Trinity.

"I'm sure we'll reconvene in a minute or so. Feel free to look around and set yourself up in the second bedroom until then."

Trinity nodded. "Is she okay?" Her aura flipped the fuck out just now."

"Her aura?"

"Her spiritual energy. It went from blue to red, and then to purple before she left."

"Is that bad?"

"Calm and centered to panicked and angry, and then to confused and sad." He translated.

"Is that your gift? Reading auras?" Koga snorted, aloofly.

 _What a ridiculous power to have._ He thought while trying to suppress a laugh.

"I actually specialize in purification…" He retorted. "…of demons." He said, in a low whisper as he crossed his arms over his chest and sized him up.

"You're a priest?" Koga said quickly, remembering that the man had thought he had come here to somehow train Kagome.

"Yea, but not the kind that has taken silly vows or is forced to wear a boring little outfit. I'm a soldier for a higher power."

Koga stared at him. The man made him nervous.

"But don't worry. I believe in peace and tolerance, not in senseless killing. I only take out the bad guys, so there shouldn't be any problems between us at all, agent Fang." He said smoothly, as he grabbed his luggage and walked off into the apartment. "No need to get so nervous." He called out behind him.

 _He can read me._ Koga thought to himself. _He can read the feelings of others._

The knowledge put him further on edge as he anxiously set off to find Kagome.

 _Something spooked her._ He thought, as he followed her scent trail over to the master bathroom that was located within their bedroom.

As he approached the closed door, he could hear her angrily talking to herself with incoherent words.

"Are you alright?" He whispered, as he tapped lightly against the door.

The muttering quickly stopped and was replaced by hesitant silence.

"Something upset you." He pushed. "Can I come in?"

"I'm fine. I'll be out soon, I promise."

"Kagome…" Koga whispered to her. "We talked about this, remember?" He said calmly, repeating her earlier words to him. "No hiding. You promised."

A frustrated "Grrrrr" could be heard from the other side of the door before it was quickly opened and he was pulled inside, with Kagome quietly closing the door behind him.

For some reason, she turned off the lights before she hesitantly took him in a gentle hug.

"You're going to be mad." She mumbled into his chest. "But, please try not to be, because I didn't know anything about this."

"Huh?" Koga said, immediately tensing.

Kagome sighed. "Please don't get angry. Please."

"I can't promise that." Koga said, as he tightened his hold on her.

"You're already getting mad and I haven't even told you anything yet."

Koga attempted to take a deep and calming breath. "Get it over with. Tell me."

"The people we are protecting are going to look very familiar to you… to us." She said, hesitantly. "There were pictures included within the document." She muttered. "I should have looked at everything _before_ attempting to brief the two of you." She said, becoming angry with herself.

"Are they people we know?" Koga asked roughly, becoming worried.

"No, we don't know them and they don't know us."

"Spit it out, Kagome. What's going on?" He demanded.

A second might have passed before found himself to be brightly lit up within Kagome's spiritual hold.

 _She's trying to overly relax me._ He thought lazily to himself, hating how the little trick had an instant effect on him.

Kagome released Koga from the hug and turned in the direction of the sink. Once there, she quickly picked up the documents that she had been reviewing during their briefing. With the papers in hand, she turned on the lights and reproached Koga, keeping her eyes downcast towards the floor.

"I didn't know." She whispered, as she handed the clipped papers over to him.

Koga calmly took the papers and looked at them.

The first page was obviously the summary that Kagome had been going through earlier.

"The next two pages." She whispered.

Koga quickly flipped the page and as soon as the next page came into view, his body reactively threw the clipped stack of papers far away from him, as if they had somehow scorched his hand.

"That's…." He sputtered.

The room was starting to spin.

"How?" He said, as he reached outwards, blindly looking for something that he could hold onto for support.

The next thing he knew he was sitting on the floor and Kagome was kneeling in between his legs with her arms wrapped tightly around him, holding him up.

"Just breathe." She said nervously, as she looked him over with a clinical eye. "You just fainted." She whispered. "Focus on taking slow breaths, baby." She ordered, as she studied him.

As the world slowly began to come back into focus, Koga shifted his attention back to the pile of papers that he had thrown on the floor.

"No." Kagome spat as she cupped his cheek and pulled his face back over to her. "Not yet." She said, as her hand then dropped away from his cheek and flew down to his wrist, checking his pulse. "Eyes on me."

Koga noticed that her hand was shaking and he was no longer glowing.

"I'm okay." He grumbled after a few minutes.

Kagome hesitated for a few moments before nodding and scooting away from him, so that she could attempt to help him up.

"You're going straight to bed and you're going to lie down once you get there." She said, as she tried to pull him to his feet.

"I don't need help." He growled defiantly, as he easily stood up without assistance.

Kagome, still fearing for Koga's wellbeing, instead pushed her way under his arm and wrapped her own arm around his back. "But I do, so let's go together. We can lean on each other for support."

Koga rolled his eyes, but played along. The moment that they got over to the bed, he sat down on it and stared at the floor. "I want to see the other picture now."

Kagome studied him for a long minute before she went back into the bathroom and returned with the clipped papers, hesitantly handing them over to him.

Koga once again took the document and skipped over the first and second pages so that he could stare at the third.

He burned the image into his brain, before he sighed in relief and passed the documents back over to Kagome. "That one wasn't so bad." He growled as he rubbed his temples. "The resemblance is uncanny." He whispered, feeling completely drained.

"Let me get you something sweet to drink." Kagome whispered, softly as she studied him. "Try to rest a little bit and I'll be right back."

"No."

"Koga, I'm really worried about you. You don't look well."

Koga ignored her and instead began speak.

"How is this possible? Inuyasha didn't have any children..."

"Are you asking me, or telling me?" Kagome asked, quickly.

"I'm telling you. Mutt face never had any kids."

Kagome paused. "Then you already have your answer."

 _Sesshomaru had children. There is no mistaking the family resemblance._

"What generation?" He bit out.

"Fourth generation grandchildren." She whispered.

Koga felt like he was going to be sick. He could deal with protecting the woman with the long black hair and cold golden eyes, who had looked to be, a female version of Sesshomaru. But, he couldn't deal with getting anywhere near the man with the long black hair and the fiery golden eyes that was arrogantly smirking at him in that picture, like an angry ghost from his past.

 _No, not just my past. Her past._

The man in the photo looked exactly like how Inuyasha did when he was in his human state.

 _Spitting image._

The very sight of the man's photo had caused Koga to pass out and Koga wasn't the type to go down easily.

 _That wasn't really Inuyasha. It is Sesshomaru's grandson._ Koga's mind hissed.

"This is why our memories need to be wiped isn't it?" Koga grumbled, as he angrily stared at the floor.

"It accounts for part of the reason. I was never supposed to bring their lineage up with you, but it's impossible not to when these two look the way that they do." She said angrily. "Sesshomaru could have, in the very least, given me a fucking head's up!"

"He's probably laughing his ass off right now." Koga hissed as his features twisted into a scowl. "He knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned us to this 'off the books' mission. He is trying to get a reaction out of us…" He spat before pausing. "No, not out of us. Out of _me_!" He corrected, feeling himself becoming absolutely furious. "He's intentionally trying to fuck with me! He wants to somehow create problems between us and this is a perfect way to do it!"

"Koga, you have it all wrong." Kagome said in complete disbelief, as she flew to his side and took a seat beside him.

"Don't you dare stick up for him right now." He growled as he rubbed his head with his hands. "I don't want to hear it."

He had a splitting headache.

"I'm not, Koga. But you need to understand…"

"Stop!" He roared. "He's trying to drive us apart! He knew exactly how I would react to seeing Inuyasha again."

"Yuu." Kagome corrected.

"Yes, me." Koga affirmed.

Kagome blinked a few times before shaking her head. "His name is Yuu."

Koga could have pulled his hair out.

"Whatever his stupid name is!" He growled. "You said it yourself, Sesshomaru lives to punish others. He knows I wouldn't want you going anywhere near the mutt!"

 _Why does he keep referring to him as if he really were Inuyasha?_ Kagome thought to herself.

"Koga, I hate to break it to you, but Inuyasha is dead. Remember?" She said, becoming frustrated. "The person you saw in that photo, isn't him."

"I don't care. I don't want you near..."

"I suggested this mission, Koga." Kagome said harshly, as she interrupted him. "This whole thing was my idea and we are here because I offered to help protect Sesshomaru's kin." She said quickly. "Sesshomaru did not want you here _at all_. He was going to assign you on a solo mission just to get rid of you long enough so that I could come here and try to protect his family for him without incident, while he is stuck running the organization. You are here because I wanted you here, not because Sesshomaru is trying to invent some theatrical way with which to drive us apart. And to be clear, I had no fucking clue what his grandchildren looked like until just now."

Koga winced and immediately flopped backwards so that he was now lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

 _Why would she suggest any of this?!_ He thought angrily to himself. _Why would she get involved?! Why does she always have to get involved in other people's problems?!_

Kagome's overly comfortable relationship with Sesshomaru already bothered him, but this mission far exceeded his mate's overly complicated work relationship with their organization's leader. Kagome had privately offered her personal services so that she could try to keep his family safe.

 _Why wouldn't this be on the books? Why couldn't R.O.O.T just protect his grandchildren?_ He wondered, before he quickly answered his own question.

 _He's hiding their existence… and he only trusts her with the secret._

Koga fought the urge to roll his eyes and found himself to be very angry that Kagome didn't let Sesshomaru assign him on a solo mission so that he could have completely avoided all of this.

 _But, then she would be here alone with Inuyasha._ His mind chided.

"Damn it all to hell!" He spat, as he cursed fate.

"Koga?" Kagome asked hesitantly, as she reached over and rubbed his stomach. "Are you mad at me?"

 _Yes._

"A little." Koga admitted. "I don't know why you felt the need to get involved in any of this. What did you really think that we would be able to accomplish here over the next week?"

"All I wanted to do was offer Sesshomaru a little piece of mind. Since the attack on his granddaughter, he's been completely on edge. I just wanted to find a way to somehow help my friend."

"He's your boss..." Koga began, before quickly correcting himself and attempting the sentence again. "No, not _your_ boss. He's your _boss'_ boss, Kagome. Just because you remember him from your adventures back in the Feudal Era, does not make him your friend."

Kagome bit her cheek, trying to stifle the harsh comeback that was threatening to erupt from her lips.

 _Koga will never believe that Sesshomaru does not have ulterior motives in our relationship with one another. He will never accept that we are just friends._ Kagome's mind warned. _It's not worth fighting about. You'd just be wasting your time._

Kagome took a deep breath and attempted to take a calm approach to the situation, as Koga was still very obviously upset.

She leaned over him and ran her fingers soothingly through his hair a few times, watching his eyes flicker back and forth as he stared at the ceiling while she did so, very obviously deep in thought.

"When you're feeling better, come and meet me back in the living room so that I can finish the briefing." She said softly, as she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and quietly left.

Koga squeezed his eyes shut in frustration as he watched her exit the room.

 _Sesshomaru should be going through the appropriate channels on this one._ Koga thought to himself as he begrudgingly sat up on the bed. _Now I'm stuck babysitting his spoiled adult brats for a week._ He thought, suddenly desperately wishing that each grandchild had inherited the majority of Rin's physical attributes, as opposed to Sesshomaru's.

* * *

"So, how do you want to handle this, agent Wraith?" Trinity said, as he studied the pictures of Mei and Yuu.

After the small break, the trio had reconvened in the living room to try and come up with a game plan.

"According to the packet that we were provided, Mei and Yuu meet for lunch every Monday near his job. As today just so happens to be Monday, I planned on approaching them once their lunch date had concluded."

"These two are pretty close, huh? They live right across the street from each other and they meet for lunch every Monday. It's nice to see that they go out of the way to make time for one another." Trinity said, thoughtfully.

Kagome instantly snorted. "I wish that were the case but nothing could be further from the truth." She said sadly, as she shook her head. "Apparently these two do not get along at all. Each has seriously tried to kill the other several times over the years."

"You're kidding." Koga said in disbelief. "So, why the hell do they spend so much time together?"

"Because if they do not spend a certain amount of time together each week, and if they do not get along with each other while they do, they will not inherit one cent of their family's fortune."

Koga's mouth dropped.

"Yup, their parents got pretty fed up with the both of them. Apparently, neither Mei nor Yuu, wants to give up the wealthy lifestyle that they have always been accustomed to. So, they now forcibly put up with one another. If either one of them loses their cool and tries to attack the other at any time, they will then violate the terms of the inheritance agreement and all the money would default to the non-guilty sibling."

Trinity shook his head. "This is how rich people get their children to get along? What is this world coming to?"

"Rich people are quite used to buying whatever they want. The parents wanted their children to be close and they wanted peace between them, so they bought it. It's been working for the past few years. There hasn't been an incident in a very long time." Kagome said offhandedly.


	12. Chapter 12

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 12

Mei angrily downshifted her Bugatti Veyron when the vehicle in front of her slowed down for a yellow light.

 _Slowpoke._

She did not hesitate to slam on the gas and rev her engine a few times before upshifting and forcing her flashy red car around the slowing car in front of her. She smugly raised her middle finger as she illegally passed the driver and blew through the busy intersection, milliseconds before the light turned red.

She was on her way to Aragawa restaurant, which just so happened to be _the most_ expensive restaurant in all of Tokyo, so that she could meet her idiotic brother for their usual forced Monday lunch.

A part of her just wished that her absentee parents would just die already so that the inheritance could finally be split up and she could be done with these obnoxious, mandatory 'play dates' with her brother.

 _Unfortunately, until then, we're just going to have to play nice._ She grumbled to herself, as she pushed her $1.7 million dollar car roughly into the restaurant's parking lot.

As she neared the entrance, she slammed on the brakes in front the stupefied valet. She noticed that his mouth was widely ajar while he unabashedly gaped at the vehicle she was driving.

She exited her car calmly. Her open toe Fendi heels were loudly clacking against the pavement as she approached the valet and arrogantly threw her keys at his head.

She had been aiming at his open mouth and she actually smiled widely when her keys smacked him against the chin.

 _So close!_ She thought with glee.

"There is a GPS locater in this car. If you do anything with it that you shouldn't, I will not hesitate to find you and kill you." She said simply, as if she were speaking about nothing more than the weather.

The valet rubbed his chin and nodded at her with wide, frightened eyes.

Mei didn't spare him a second glance as she pushed forward into the restaurant. The moment the hostess noticed her, the woman immediately flanked her and took her over to her preferred table.

* * *

Kagome, Koga and Trinity had arrived at Aragawa twenty minutes early. The super elite restaurant only catered to the very rich, and thankfully, Jaken was able to pull a few strings and get her small group a reservation on such short notice.

The trio sat at a round table far in the corner of the room that would allow them to have a clear view of the front door and the back exit. Kagome's plan was to allow the siblings to enjoy their lunch before approaching them.

"Hopefully, this goes smoothly." Trinity mumbled, as he scanned the room from behind his shades.

Kagome was appreciative that the man decided to wear his sunglasses during this event. His eyes gave her the creeps.

"It should go well if they are willing to listen. From all the intelligence that we just went through, they both seem incorrigible." Kagome said, roughly.

"That's an understatement. They both seem absolutely bat shit crazy." Koga grumbled, as he shook his head.

 _Must be in the genes._ He thought quietly to himself. _Runs in that God damn family._

* * *

 _He's late._ Mei thought to herself, as she sat down and smoothed over her Roksanda dress. _The least he could do is show up on time._

To pass the time, Mei busied herself on social media, before she soon became overwhelmingly bored.

 _He does this intentionally!_ She scathed. _He knows how much it pisses me off and he continues to do it every single time!_

Frustrated, she slammed her phone down and began to look around.

The restaurant was packed, as usual, and she focused her eyes on the entrance waiting for Yuu to appear.

Several minutes passed before she gave up on watching the door and instead, scanned around the restaurant, taking note of the patrons within. She studied each table and made a game of guessing the designer labels that each person wore. She had gone through three tables worth of couples before turning her attention over to the small table located at the back of the restaurant.

 _What the hell is that chick wearing?_ She thought to herself, as she noticed a beautiful and fit woman who was outfitted in a fuzzy white sweater and simple blue jeans. Mei noted that her horrendous outfit was accented with nondescript black riding boots.

Mei couldn't figure out the designer, which obviously meant that the outfit wasn't designed by anyone of any real substance in the fashion world.

 _She is probably poor and is only here so that she can find a wealthy sugar daddy._ She presumed, as she studied the woman's lack of makeup and childishly high ponytail. _She's actually quite pretty. It's just too bad she doesn't flaunt it. No respectable man would be interested in such an obvious charity case._ She thought, as she sipped her water before turning her attention over to the man that was seated beside her.

And… she promptly choked on her drink.

 _Holy. Fucking. Shit._ Mei's mind sputtered, as she tried to quietly gasp for air. _He's absolutely gorgeous!_

Her eyes widened as she noted his features while he animatedly spoke to the impoverished woman at his side.

The man had long black hair that was tied back into a pony tail, the length of it hovering over his lower back. He was wearing a black, fitted, long sleeved sweater over black jeans. He was obviously in peek physical shape and she could make out the slightest traces of his muscles through his clothes. His eyes were the color of the rarest of blue diamonds and they stood out against the contrast of his darkly tanned skin. His features were masculine and chiseled, and he had an air of confidence about him that she struggled to put words to. It felt as though he could easily destroy anyone that got in his way. She found the combination of his arrogance and physical prowess to be utterly alluring… and challenging.

She watched as the woman next to him said something and he began to laugh, giving Mei a glimpse of his pearly white, and fanged, canine teeth.

Mei felt a molten heat come over her as she imagined all of the sensuous things that this handsome man could do to her with those fangs of his, and she absentmindedly reached for the menu that had been long forgotten on her table just so that she could frantically fan herself off.

 _Get it together, Mei!_ Her mind chided. _You're acting like a pitiful…_

Before she could finish her thought, she was interrupted by an abrupt voice right next to her ear.

"Did you order already?"

The unexpected statement caused her to slightly jump, which caused the speaker to erupt into a fit of laughter.

"You got scared!" He said, as he pointed at her in between frantic gasps for air.

"Shut up, you idiot!" She spat, in a harsh whisper.

Her brother, Yuu, was wearing a black Tom Ford suit. His dress shit was white and of the same label, his top two buttons were left open and he didn't wear a tie. His black hair hung loosely; reaching down to the middle of his back.

"The only idiot here is the one that's staring off into space. What the fuck are you doing, Mei?" Yuu retorted, as he casually took his seat across from her.

When Mei didn't respond, he studied her.

"Are you blushing?!" He said incredulously, before laughing loudly once again.

"I am going to fucking kill you." She said sweetly, as she busied herself with her menu. "And I promise that when I finally do, it _will_ look like an accident, dearest brother."

"Oh please. You're been saying that for years. I'll believe it when I actually see it." He said in his most cheerful voice, before he purposefully dropped it down to a low whisper. "Just what were you looking at when I came in, dearest sister?" He mischievously prodded, as he studied her face.

To Mei's credit, she did not react nor did she look up from her menu.

"Let me see." He said to himself, as he scanned around the restaurant.

 _She was looking in this direction._ He thought, as he swung his head. _Toward the back tables._

As Yuu casually glanced in the direction of the far side of the room, he quickly noted a table of three.

There was a man with white hair and sunglasses casually sipping a drink while his companions spoke to each other. There was another man with black hair sitting to his right that was happily chatting away. This second man had an air about him that immediately told Yuu that he was an arrogant prick.

Yuu frowned and turned his eyes in the direction of the woman that sat in between the two men, and he felt his heart immediately skip a beat.

 _She is... beautiful._

Yuu blinked a few times and focused all of his attention on her, memorizing her beautiful features and serene smile. Based upon her mannerisms, she seemed completely down to earth, which was refreshing to a man like him who ran in the wealthy circles that he did.

The smug jerk that sat at her side said something that caused her to laugh sweetly, and Yuu came to the conclusion that there was no sound on the planet that sounded more enticing to him.

He suddenly found that he wanted to be the one to get her to make that sound again. He wanted to feel how soft her skin was, and he, very suddenly, desperately wanted to catch a whiff of her scent.

He came to the quick conclusion that he wanted this woman.

 _I will have her._ He thought to himself, as he focused his attention on her plump, pink lips. _I always get what I want._

* * *

"Are you going to order the steak, like you always do?" Mei said uninterestedly, as she ran her beautifully manicured nails through her long black hair.

Several moments passed before she realized Yuu did not respond.

 _He's trying to goad you._ She mentally grumbled to herself.

"I'm going to have it as well. Not like you care anyway." She said, coldly.

 _I wish we didn't have to make small talk during these stupid things._ She thought angrily, as she closed her menu and stared up at her brother.

She noticed that, in the moment, Yuu looked just like an apex predator that was hungrily staring down injured prey. His eyes were narrowed and desperately hungry. His upper lip was curled into an eager smirk and he was biting his lower lip with apparent anticipation.

Mei followed his gaze and noticed he was sizing up the poverty stricken woman that she had originally noticed at the far table in the back.

"Are you kidding me? _Her_? She's very obviously a gold digger. Just look at what she's wearing. Look at her clothes!" She hissed, before she turned her attention back over to the delicious man that was seated at her left.

"Who cares if she is? She's fucking hot. I'll look at her clothes when they're littered across my bedroom floor, once I'm done slowly peeling them off of her." He said smugly, very obviously lost in a fantasy of his own.

"You're fucking disgusting." Mei hissed, without looking at him.

"I could say the same about her date." Yuu muttered, as his eyes flicked over to the man on her left. "You do realize that those two are together, don't you?" He snapped.

Mei frowned. "There's no way that's possible. What would someone like him see in someone like _her_?" She spat. "He's very obviously just being polite."

"He's not wearing a wedding ring." Yuu whispered, as he focused on the man's left hand while he reached for his drink. "I can't make out her hand though. She has them on her lap, underneath the table."

Both siblings watched on as Mei's fantasy man suddenly leaned over and lovingly kissed Yuu's fantasy woman.

Mei and Yuu immediately scowled at the action.

If looks could kill.

* * *

As Koga released Kagome's lips he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

 _The intent to kill?_ He thought to himself, as his instincts lowly rumbled in warning to him.

Kagome apparently felt something as well as she immediately turned around and began to scan the restaurant, quickly noticing that Mei and Yuu were looking over in her direction as if they wanted to kill someone.

As her eyes connected with Yuu's she felt her heart tighten in sorrow as she held his eyes.

When Yuu had first entered the restaurant, both she and Koga had immediately stiffened. He looked exactly like Inuyasha and the memory of the man that had long passed had saddened Kagome, reminding her of long lost times. She knew that Koga was intensely gauging her reaction to the man and she didn't want him to get the wrong idea. As a result, she had quickly pushed her thoughts away and focused her attention solely on her two male companions.

But, with her current eye contact with Yuu, she couldn't help but sadden once again and she regretfully tore her eyes away from his.

Kagome quickly looked over to Koga who was seated to her left and to Trinity, who was seated to her right.

"Don't look over at them. But, I think something spooked them." She whispered to the men.

"What makes you say that?" Trinity asked, softly.

"They're scowling in this direction."

Trinity quickly began to nonchalantly scan around the restaurant before returning his attention back over to Kagome.

"They're not spooked, they're pissed." He quickly corrected. "Angry red aura is coming off of the two of them in waves."

"You said they fight a lot. Maybe they are arguing?" Koga whispered.

"Then why are they looking in this direction?" Kagome asked, before she chanced a quick look back at Mei and Yuu's table.

She was thankful to notice that they had turned their attention back on each other and appeared to be arguing under their breath.

* * *

"Well, this fucking sucks." Yuu grumbled, angry at the fact that he had been so obviously caught scowling at the object of his desire.

"Looks like she already has someone, dearest brother. There's no way you can compete with _that_ man." Mei said smugly, happily chastising him.

"There's no way you can compete with _that_ woman." He retorted. "You're very obviously interested in the asshole that's she's here with."

"I am not. I am just… curious about him." She said, coldly. "A part of me wants to devour him and a part of me wants to break him. It is most fascinating." She admitted.

Yuu shook his head.

"I don't know why mom and dad refused to put you in therapy. You have some serious issues. You always have." Yuu said, honestly. "Every time I watch one of those documentaries on serial killers, I always think of you."

"That's flattering." Mei retorted. "Unfortunately, I never think of you for any reason." She said, as she gave her order to the waitress that had quietly approached their table.

"My perfect sister. Nothing exists to her except for herself." Yuu said, under his breath. "Must get pretty lonely in your world. I pity you."

"I don't even know the meaning of the word lonely." She remarked, as her brother gave the waitress his order.

"That's a shame. You've had such an elite education." Yuu joked. "But seriously, you have no people skills, no friends, nothing. It's not healthy. I worry about you, Mei."

"I don't need, nor want, any of those things, Yuu. Save your compassion for the weak." She hissed, becoming frustrated by her brother's emotional tone.

"I'm serious, Mei. Do you even know how to genuinely interact with people without acting? I'm talking about really connecting with someone. Not, manipulating or intimidating people into doing what you want. Do you even know what it is like to enjoy another person's company?"

"I have no problems in that area." Mei said quickly, as she flicked her long hair over her shoulder.

"I'm not talking about all of your male whores that live their life for the sole purpose of serving and pleasing you. I'm talking about a real bond with another human being, Mei. Do you even know what that's like? You've never had one real friend. Those shallow snobs that make up your social group don't count. Those bitches are just as bad as you are in the humanity department."

Mei scowled at him. "Do not force me to repeat myself." She spat, her voice becoming eerily low in warning.

"Alright then. Prove it to me. See if you can get Mr. Ponytail over there to give you his number without threatening him or flaunting our family name in some way. I'm talking about genuine conversation and interest on his part."

"Ridiculous."

"It's only ridiculous because you can't do it. It is impossible for you." Yuu said, smugly.

"I pose the same challenge to you." Mei said, angrily as she began to lose patience.

"Not a problem for me, Sis. Women love me. I'd have no problem striking up a conversation with that beauty _right in front of_ her date if I had to. Once I work my magic, she'll be slipping me her phone number and forgetting all about the loser that she's here with, in no time at all."

At this, Mei actually laughed. "Terms?" She said quickly, as her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Who ever manages to get a phone number first wins. The loser has to host our parents for a long weekend."

Mei's mouth dropped. "That would be torture. I like it!" She said, quickly.

"Beats the loser buying the winner something. That would be too easy. The loser has to suffer. Putting up with mom and dad for a few days is the perfect punishment." Yuu said, chuckling.

* * *

"It looks like they're actually having a good time now." Koga whispered, as he glanced over at the Ishii table, watching as the two siblings genuinely smiled at each other.

"They're up to something." Trinity warned. "I don't trust these two as far as I can throw them."

"The woman gives me a weird vibe. She feels dangerous to me." Kagome admitted, as she concentrated on finishing her delicious lunch before attempting to change the subject.

"Trinity, tell me what you can about yourself. Holy powers are the rarest type of powers to have. I'd like to know about your experience with them." She said, her voice filled with interest.

"My powers run in my family." Trinity answered, simply. "The knowledge of how to work with them has been passed down over the centuries and I started training with them when I was only a small child." He admitted.

"Wow, so you must be an expert!" Kagome said in awe. "I can't wait to start training with you."

"So you really are going to teach Wraith?" Koga asked, curiously.

"Yes, I need the help. Trinity was specifically assigned to this mission so that he could teach me _and_ help protect the siblings. It was assumed that because we both have holy powers, like the members of The Order, that we could help in some way."

"This could be very dangerous for me." Koga said, seriously. "This entire mission is actually very dangerous for me." He admitted, as his thoughts flickered over to The Order.

"I've never seen you back away from a challenge, Fang." Kagome said honestly, before she was interrupted by a frantic looking waitress that had practically flew over to their table.

"I'm so sorry Miss, but the card you gave us has been declined. Would you mind coming with me so that we can contact your credit company?"

"What? That's impossible. That card has no limit." Kagome huffed, as she studied the waitress.

"I'm sure it is just a problem with the magnetic strip. This can be easily resolved if you call the company with me at the front desk. I am so sorry for this inconvenience."

Kagome sighed as she stood from her place at the table.

"Keep an eye on them." She instructed, as she followed the waitress to the front of the restaurant.

The men nodded and focused their attention to the Ishii table ahead of them, noticing that Yuu had stood up and looked to be on his way to the bathroom.

* * *

From the corner of his eye, Yuu watched his elusive woman leave her table to make her way over to the front desk, and he calmly took off after her.

Once she arrived at the desk, she quickly picked up the restaurant's phone and obviously dialed the customer service number that she found on the back of her card.

Yuu wasted no time in walking over to her and reaching his hand across her, abruptly hanging up her call.

"I am so sorry, Miss. This is most unlike me, but I had to find a way to speak with you. I hope you can forgive me, but there is nothing wrong with your card. The transaction went through. I asked the waitress to lie to you so that she could get you over here." His scratchy voice said seriously. "But, I believe we know each other." He said quickly, as he lost himself in her deep brown eyes and her intoxicating scent, desperately praying that she wouldn't immediately pick up on his blatant lie.

 _If I ever met this woman before, she'd be here with me right now, not with the cocky idiot that was fawning over her at her table._ He thought to himself.

He felt immediately relieved as he watched her eyes widen at his statement and her face soften. Her hand slowly lifted, as if without her permission, and reached up towards his face. Her fingertips gently coasted over his cheek before she tore her hand harshly away from him, as if realizing what she had done.

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled, as she attempted to get her bearings together. "No, I don't think we know each other."

"What is your name?" Yuu asked gently, as he attempted to ignore the gentle electricity that her brief contact with him had left on his skin.

"Wraith." She said, after a moment of hesitation.

"That's an odd name." Yuu said, as he flashed her his most charming smile. "Were your parents hippies or something?"

At this, the woman laughed, and Yuu allowed the gentle sound to roll over his senses. He found that he felt incredibly light and happy in her presence.

"My name is, Yuu." He said smoothly as he genuinely smiled at her, while his right hand swept forward and purposefully wrapped around her left hand, bringing it slowly up to his lips.

He didn't miss the giant diamond ring that came into view as he did so, and he tried not to scowl as it sparked while he softly kissed the back of her hand.

 _Engaged._ His mind hissed. _To that fool!_

Yuu cleared his throat and forced his attention back on the beautiful woman before him, before he politely dropped her ringed hand.

"I actually would like to speak to you…" Wraith said softly, as she held his eyes.

 _Engaged. But not married!_ His mind happily reminded him, as her sultry scent flooded his nose.

"…and your sister." She finished.

 _Damn it all to hell. She knows Mei?!_ He mentally grumbled. _Did Mei just set me up?_

"You are one of Mei's friends?" He grumbled, as he took a quick step away from her.

"Um. No, I don't know her personally. But, I know who she is." Wraith admitted, as she watched Yuu immediately relax. "I really would love to speak to you both."

"You're not going to try to sell us something are you?" Yuu asked, suspiciously. "We're not looking to invest in anything."

Kagome laughed. "No, I'm not looking to con you in any way. I'm not interested in your money. I'm interested in your safety."

Yuu frowned but said nothing. He instead motioned with his hand in the direction of his table. "Please follow me." He said simply as he stepped forward, his arm sweeping out behind her back so that he could gently guide her.

* * *

When Kagome left, Koga and Trinity focused their attention over to the Ishii table. They calmly watched as Yuu walked off in the direction of the bathroom before his sister quickly rose from the table and made her way over to them, completely diverting their attention away from her brother.

"I think she's coming over _here_." Koga muttered, as the woman slowly walked over to him, her eyes holding his as she did so.

"Affirmative." Trinity whispered under his breath.

Both men watched as the woman approached their table and sat down in between them, as if she owned the very restaurant that they were sitting in.

"You've been watching me." She said in a low voice, as she focused her attention solely on Koga. "Do you want to enlighten me as to why?" She asked smoothly, as her eyes twinkled seductively into his.

"Uh. No, I wasn't." Koga lied, wishing his brain could have come up with something more believable.

Mei smiled at him, revealing two rows of perfectly white and straight teeth.

"You're lying." She said, knowingly.

Koga tried to think while trying to ignore the scent of obvious female arousal that slowly began to lightly waft over to him.

If this had been any other time before he met Kagome, he would have jumped this woman. She was beautiful and alluring. He knew from previous experience that this woman would present a significant challenge to him, but the sex would be well worth the trouble.

"You're getting nervous." She whispered, as she studied Koga's face. "Are you afraid that your girlfriend might come back and see us together?" She said softly, as she lightly bit her bottom lip.

"That's right!" Koga sputtered. "I have a girlfriend!" He said, stupidly.

 _Why didn't I just say that from the get go?_ He thought, angrily.

"Fiancé." Trinity corrected from his forgotten place at Mei's side. "She's your _fiancé_."

"It seems as though our friend here might have forgotten." Mei said sweetly to Trinity, as her honey gold eyes held Koga's deep blue ones.

"I didn't forget." Koga said, angrily. "And she's not my fiancé, she's my _wife_." He said with emphasis.

"I don't see a ring on your finger." Mei said quickly, never once glancing down at his hand.

"That's because…" Koga trailed off.

"…you're lying?" Mei finished for him, as she barely stifled a laugh. "Does your girlfriend/fiancé/wife know that she shouldn't trust anything that comes out of your mouth?" She asked, smugly.

Koga frowned. "She can trust me with her life. I'd never hide anything from her, nor would I ever lie to her." He said seriously, not knowing why he felt compelled to defend himself to this ruthless woman.

"That's good to hear." Mei said with obvious delight, as she intently watched her brother leading his target over to their table, from her view over Koga's shoulder. "If things don't work out between the two of you, give me a call." She said quickly, as she pushed a card with her information on it over to him.

"Not interested." Koga said smoothly, as he turned his attention over to his drink that sat before him on the table.

"You might be soon." She said arrogantly, as she memorized his features.

"What are you talking about? I'm definitely not…"

Koga wasn't able to complete his sentence. Before he knew what was happening, Mei's soft, moist lips were delicately pressed up against his.

The kiss ended before he even knew it began and before he could react, he noticed that Mei was halfway back at her table.

"What the fuck was that about?" Koga spat, as he roughly rubbed his lips with the back of his hand.

"That's not the problem right now." Trinity said quickly, his voice full of panic.

"What? How could you say that?"

"Wraith." He said in harsh whisper, his eyes focused over Koga's shoulder.

Koga's mouth dropped. "Please tell me she didn't see…"

"She definitely did." Trinity said, quickly.

Before Koga could turn around, a loud "YOU!" sounded off behind him, causing him to immediately startle and freeze.

The sound was accompanied by loud male snickering that was made from a voice that was overly familiar to him and long forgotten.

"What the fuck?!" Kagome hissed, from her place behind Koga.

Koga willed his body to turn around, but he found he couldn't move.

"I hate to interrupt." Came the male voice from behind him. "But I actually have to run. I only have so long for lunch before I have to go back to work." He said, smoothly. "It looks like you're actually pretty busy, so I'll let you handle what you obviously need to handle here." He said, hurriedly. "But, if you quickly jot down your number, I could give you a call the moment I get out of the office and maybe we could talk, then?" He said, warmly.

At this statement Koga's body immediately came to life and he spun around just in time to see a furious Kagome hurriedly scribbling her number on the back of In-Yuu-yasha's business card.

The moment she finished, he nodded to her and took off.

Koga didn't miss the way the man flashed the card in his sister's face as he passed her place at her table, before smugly putting the card in his jacket's breast pocket and bolting out the front door.

 _They planned this!_ Koga's mind roared, as his instincts began to growl in warning at his livid mate's approach.

"It's not what you think!" Koga said hurriedly, as he quickly stood up and held his hands in the air defensively. "They planned…"

Whatever he was going to say was rudely interrupted by the hard smack that he received to the side of his face.

Koga immediately began to rub the spot before he tried again.

"They planned this. They both did this on purpose!"

Kagome didn't stick around to listen; she instead stormed off in the direction of Mei's table.

"This is bad." Trinity said, as he jumped up and took off after her, praying he would be able to catch up to her.

Luck wasn't on his side today.

He watched as Wraith came up alongside Mei and harshly snatched the woman up by her shirt. He saw the hardened muscles of her arm tense as she lifted the woman up, out of her seat, and dragged her roughly towards the door.

 _Not good._ Trinity's mind shouted as he pushed his legs to catch up to them. _How the fuck is this woman so fast?_ He wondered. _Adrenaline can do that sometimes._ His mind quickly answered.

Trinity found himself thanking a higher power as he felt Fang blast past him and out the door.

When he exited the restaurant, he froze in horror as he took in the sight of a bloodied Mei crumpled on the floor, scrambling to get away from Wraith. Her eyes were both furious and horrified as her hand cupped her face. Apparently Wraith had broken her nose. Before Wraith could jump on her and pound her into the ground, which is what she was obviously trying to do, Fang came up behind her and with a strength that he shouldn't have been capable of, lifted her up in the air and hoisted her quickly over his shoulder, before he rushed in the direction of their car.

"Put me down!" She hissed, as she attempted to expertly dive over his shoulder and roll away.

Trinity sighed as he watched Fang falter for a moment, before readjusting her place on his shoulder.

Wraith wasn't making it easy for him. The woman was very obviously masterfully skilled in hand-to-hand combat and was swinging her body around roughly in certain ways that were loosening his hold on her.

Trinity thanked his God when he saw Fang finally get Wraith over to the car and practically throw her inside of it. The man moved as fast as lightning and in a split second he was in the driver's seat, quickly forcing the car over in Trinity's direction. The moment the car stopped, Trinity got in, and the Subaru WRX peeled out of the parking lot.


	13. Chapter 13

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 13

Trinity's mind was a flurry with concern and worry as agent Fang took off from the restaurant.

 _We're all probably going to be kicked off of this mission._ He thought sadly to himself.

From everything that he had heard about agent Wraith, she was one of the most highly regarded agents in their entire organization. She was the leader of the infamous Reconnaissance Alpha Team and she had personally saved their organization, along with countless others, on numerous occasions. She was reportedly incredibly smart, fierce and always in control.

Trinity thought on this as he reflected upon her recent behavior.

 _Agent Fang is her weakness._ He realized quickly, feeling his heart swell with compassion for the woman whose invisible, murderous, black aura was currently filling the car. _Love is funny that way._

Love.

The word brought forth an image of Mei's smirking face into his mind and he shook his head as if to somehow erase it.

When he had first saw Mei's picture during Wraith's briefing back in the apartment, his heart had skipped a beat. The woman was very beautiful and had a certain air of elegance about her that he found to be utterly intriguing. He immediately noticed that the woman's eyes were the warmest of colors, yet they were so frigidly cold; any trace of emotion was completely absent from them. For a reason that he couldn't explain, he wanted to somehow save her from the darkness that she was so obviously drowning in and forcibly pull her into the light, into life, and, as much as he hated to admit it, into his arms. When he saw her in person today, her gray and dull aura saddened him. She was so beautiful and enticing, yet so bored and unconnected. It made his heart hurt for her.

The only times that her aura had changed colors and came alive back in that restaurant was when she had argued with her brother, when she had tried to purposefully seduce Fang, and after Wraith had struck her outside.

She reminded him of all the deranged people that he had encountered over his lifetime, people that only felt something when they were inflicting pain on others or doing very, very bad things.

 _She's on a dark path._ He thought sadly to himself, as he fiddled with the silver charm that hung from his neck. _She's going to end up either dead or behind bars._

He remembered that Wraith had mentioned that she and her brother had attempted to kill each other on several occasions. He also remembered that she had quickly and effectively taken out her attacker from The Order. Based on the description that Wraith had shared about the state of the attacker's body, there were no apparent defense wounds. It had seemed that Mei was able to ambush him and had very obviously stabbed him in the back, straight through the heart.

 _Knowing her type, it definitely gave her a thrill._ Trinity concluded. _If she's not careful, she's going to be forever chasing that high, and innocent people will die._ He thought, sympathetically. _All I can do is hope that he was her first, and only, kill._

Trinity paused from his silent musings when he noticed that Wraith's aura was slowly turning purple.

 _She's starting to worry. She's realizing, as the anger fades, that she is going to have to somehow explain this._

As if on cue, Wraith's frustrated voice interrupted the heavy silence in the car.

"Please pull over. I need to make a call."

Fang said nothing, but pulled over as instructed.

Trinity sighed. _Fang's aura has been an angry red since he saw Wraith scribble down her phone number and give it to Yuu._ He realized. _Speaking with the Ishii siblings had been the sole purpose for our presence in that restaurant today. At least Wraith had somehow managed to open a line of communication with the brother before she lost her shit._

"I'll be right back." Wraith said quickly, as she exited the car and walked off.

Fang stared straight ahead, unmoving.

 _Out of everything that happened over the course of that lunch, that's the only thing that he cares about. He doesn't care that Mei kissed him, nor does he seem to care that Wraith smacked him or attacked one of the people that we were sent here to protect. He certainly doesn't care if we all get removed from this mission either. Fang obviously believes that Yuu could be a threat to his relationship with Wraith._ Trinity concluded, struggling not to roll his colorless eyes.

"You have nothing to worry about." He muttered nervously, attempting to somehow ease Fang's mind yet appear unobtrusive.

He didn't know why, but from the moment he met him, something about Fang put Trinity ill at ease. The man's aura was normal and he seemed to be a good person from what he was able to gather over the past few hours, but his soul couldn't help but feel on high alert around him.

"I'm _not_ worried." Fang spat in response. "Nothing would make me happier than this mission abruptly coming to an end."

"Those two people need our help." Trinity said softly. "I know you don't like them and I don't blame you. But, if we could help them in some way and find something out that could assist us in taking down The Order, we could save a lot of lives."

"Don't care." Fang said, offhandedly.

"Agent Fang, you have been keeping up to date on this group, haven't you?" Trinity huffed. "They're killing innocent gifted people and they don't distinguish between the elderly, the weak or the children while they do it. They kill without bias or compassion. We have a chance to do something, why wouldn't you embrace that?"

He watched as Fang's aura flashed purple at the mention of the word "children" before returning to an angry red.

 _He has a soft spot for kids._ Trinity realized, as he employed a different tactic.

"They're killing babies, Fang. Helpless, innocent babies that deserve to have a chance at life and they're killing the gifted mothers that try to protect them."

"Stop!" Fang roared, rubbing his temples.

As Trinity spoke Koga couldn't help but picture Ginta and Hakkaku's families being wiped out, and little baby Axl being slaughtered while in Annika's arms.

* * *

Kagome stared at her phone in absolute terror.

 _It finally happened. I finally lost control._ She thought angrily to herself.

Ever since she reunited with Koga almost a year ago, she had been slowly slipping. She went from a mature and responsible adult, who was always methodical and in control, to an insecure, immature, reactive emotional mess.

She had always frowned upon Koga's instinctual and overly aggressive behaviors. Yet, over time, she was slowing allowing herself to slip into the very same patterns.

For the most part, Kagome did have some control of herself back at that restaurant. She had dragged Mei outside so that she could have a little 'talk' with her. However, all that went straight to hell when the woman had threatened her mate's life outside of the restaurant.

Kagome winced at the memory.

 _"Unhand me, you filthy peasant!" Mei had hissed, as Kagome pulled her away from her table. She couldn't help but notice that the woman's eyes twinkled with obvious amusement._

 _"Not happening, sweetheart." Kagome had grumbled, as she tightened her hand's hold on Mei's shirt._

 _"Don't you know who I am?" Mei continued smugly, as Kagome released her outside. "If you so much as lay one finger on me, you'll never again see the light of day again. And while you rot in prison, I'll personally slit the throat of that cheating boyfriend of yours..."_

 _Kagome didn't wait to hear the rest of Mei's statement. Her body dropped into the fighting stance that it was so intimately familiar with and she took a rushed step forward. Building off of her body's momentum, her fist pulled backwards before exploding away from her body and smashing into Mei's perfectly sculptured nose._

 _The woman had flown backwards and landed roughly on the floor._

Kagome could still hear the loud 'popping' sound echoing in her mind along with the frozen look of horror that was etched into Mei's face.

 _No one ever stood up to her before._ Kagome realized. _Without a katana or threatening words to hide behind as weapons, the bitch was utterly defenseless._

"Fuck. Me." She mumbled to herself, as she stared down at her phone.

 _Might as well get this over with. I fucked up and I deserve whatever punishment is about to get handed down to me._ She thought humbly to herself, as she dialed a number that was well committed to memory.

* * *

Sesshomaru was in his office sitting quietly at his desk while secretly staring at an old photograph that he always kept in his breast pocket.

It was a black and white picture of him and Rin together on a trip that they had once taken to Mt. Fuji the year before she died. The photo showed a portion of the famous mountain in the background and Rin was wrapped tightly within his arms, looking up at him with such love and adoration in her face.

His expression matched hers.

If he remembered correctly, he had taken her soft mouth in the sweetest of kisses prior to that very moment.

When he closed his eyes, he could still remember her beautiful scent and the warmth of her body against his.

 _We should have left Japan._ He thought to himself, sadly. _With all that was going on in the world at that time, I should have taken her and fled somewhere safe._

Rin had actually recommended it, but he had been too stubborn to listen. Japan was his home and his country was strong. There was no reason to worry. They would be safe.

 _So I thought._ His mind grumbled at the memory.

Nothing remotely close to the destructive atomic bomb had even existed before then. His brain could not even conceive the existence of such a weapon at the time, even after it had taken the life of his beloved wife.

When the bomb had hit, he had been in Tokyo, while Rin had been in Hiroshima visiting with some of their descendants that had settled there.

He never saw her again.

She didn't die on a battlefield or from prolonged sickness. She didn't leave this world while in his loving arms. When the bomb hit and the ground rumbled beneath his feet, he felt a sudden coldness like no other seep into his heart.

In that moment he had known.

He didn't even know exactly what had transpired, but he did know that the woman that he lived his life for was no longer of this world.

When he got to Hiroshima, Tenseiga in hand, there was no trace of her; nothing to bury, honor, or attempt to resurrect. It was as if she had just left one day and that was it. She was gone. A part of him still expected her climb into bed next to him at night, cuddle up against his chest and kiss the place over his heart, like she always did, as if nothing had ever happened. Ever since the day she left, he had never stopped waiting for her to return home.

He never got a chance to say farewell, or tell her that he loved her one final time and he never had the chance for any form of real closure.

If not for Rin's constant appearance in his dreams, her nightly visits with him, he feared to admit that he would have found a way to join her so very long ago. However, Rin would never approve of such a cowardly act on her behalf. It would have brought her great dishonor and that was something he could never allow.

Today as he stared at the picture, he whispered to his wife, begging for her guidance on the current state of their dysfunctional family.

Jaken had called an hour ago with news that had nearly caused him to fly into a rage.

As Kagome was currently working along with his personal non-R.O.O.T affiliated people during this secret mission, he was kept well informed of the goings on. Jaken had planted two spies within the restaurant this afternoon so that he could be kept abreast of the status of this developing secret mission.

Kagome's group had only been at it for a few hours and apparently Koga had somehow managed to get himself onto his granddaughter's radar. Sesshomaru currently didn't know who he was more furious with, Mei for throwing herself at the one man on this planet that he thoroughly and unequivocally despised with every ounce of his being, or Kagome, for not teaching his spoiled brat of a granddaughter a harsher lesson.

Kagome had given Mei the adult version of a long overdue spanking, and he had wished he had been there to witness it.

Sesshomaru sighed. _Mei has the same healing abilities as her brother. She will be completely healed in three days time. However, the blow to her ego is something that she will not quickly recover from._ He thought angrily to himself. _Hopefully it will serve as a much needed wake up call._

Sesshomaru worried about Mei, more so than any of his one hundred and ten grandchildren. She reminded him of his youthful self, before Rin had melted his cold heart and before his brother had shown him the true meaning of the word humility on the frequent occasions that he had left him battered and worse for wear. Mei was thirty years old and remained in a deep freeze. Human time was short in this world and Sesshomaru feared that at this point, his granddaughter might always remain beyond anyone's reach.

That is why he secretly devised the mandatory meetings that she was forced to have with her brother. He was the only one that had a chance of changing her somehow, getting her to see the light.

Yuu did care about his older sister. Much like Inuyasha, though he never would have admitted it, once secretly cared about his older brother.

The moment that Sesshomaru's phone rang, he knew the caller without having to glance at the screen.

He gently kissed the photo of his late wife before placing the picture back into his breast pocket, over his heart, with utmost care. He then focused his attention on the phone and quickly disconnected the call.

* * *

 _He put me into voice mail?_ Kagome thought, worriedly.

A few seconds passed before a request for a video call came through.

 _Of course._ Her mind grumbled. _He wants to see me._

She could have laughed, if she were in a better mood.

"Agent Wraith." She said timidly, as she accepted the call.

Sesshomaru's face was cold and impassive as he stared at her, not saying a word.

 _He knows._ She thought, as she attempted not to panic.

"I fucked up." Kagome said quickly, as she cast her eyes away from the screen of her phone. "Instead of protecting your granddaughter, I assaulted her." She admitted.

There was a silence that seemed to stretch on forever before Sesshomaru finally spoke.

"Are you remorseful?" He said calmly, as his eyes thoroughly studied her downcast face.

Kagome took a deep breath.

"No. No, Sir. I am not." She whispered, as she turned her eyes to hold his. "I am only sorry that I betrayed your trust in me." She said honestly.

Then the strangest thing happened.

Sesshomaru smiled widely, treating Kagome to the sight of his sharp and fanged teeth.

"Was that the sole purpose of this call?" He asked curtly, as the smile quickly faded from his lips.

"Um. Yes. Yes, it was." Kagome responded, feeling completely off kilter.

"Very well, then. Continue to keep me updated as you are able." He said uninterestedly, before he quickly cut the line.

 _What the FUCK just happened?!_ Her mind screamed.

Kagome stared at the phone stupidly for a moment, wondering if she had just hallucinated the entire call.

 _Had Mei managed to land a blow to my head?_ She wondered. _Am I wounded in some way?_ She thought, as she scanned herself for injuries.

Finding none, she made her way back to Koga's car in a daze.

When she reentered the car, she kept her eyes trained forward at the road.

"I have to apologize to you." She said, as she stared off into space. "I shouldn't have smacked you. I reacted to what I witnessed, but I genuinely know that you didn't do anything to contribute to what I saw back there." She said, honestly. "I hope you can forgive me."

Koga sighed as he looked over at her. "Forgiven." He said, honestly. "I just wish you didn't hit so hard. I don't understand how someone so tiny could have such brute strength." He said, attempting to lighten the mood in some way.

Kagome smiled at him before turning her eyes once again to the expanse of road before her.

"The entire time we were watching those two, they were watching us." Koga said softly. "They planned that... fiasco, together."

Kagome nodded. "I believe it."

"So, when do we leave?" Koga asked curiously, as he studied her from the corner of her eye.

"We don't."

"We. Don't?" Koga repeated, confused.

"Nope. Nothing has changed. The mission is still on. Apparently what happened today didn't seem to register as a very big deal."

"That motherfucker!" Koga growled in utter disbelief.

If there was enough room in the car, Koga swore he would have thrown his hands up in defeat.

"So what do we do now?" Trinity asked cheerfully, as he began to tinker with his necklace.

"We need to find Mei and we need to talk to her." Kagome said, hesitantly.

Koga loudly groaned.

"Sounds good. Let's stake out her house." Trinity said, quickly.

"What is wrong with the two of you?" Koga hissed. "This entire mission is trouble. Those two siblings ARE trouble. Why would either of you want to continue this?"

"If you want to step out, then do so." Kagome said, sympathetically. "I'd understand. This isn't an official mission, so there will be no repercussions. You can either stay here and enjoy the rest of the week or go back to base."

 _And it would keep Sess-HOE-Mei-ru the fuck away from you._ She thought silently to herself.

Koga's head dropped into his hands. He wanted to scream.

"I'm not leaving you. You _know_ I can't leave you." He said, his voice giving way to exhaustion.

"You'd have no problem with me going on a solo mission. Just consider it as such. Take a break babe."

 _I will not leave you in the hands of In-Yuu-yasha!_ His mind roared. _I trust you, but I sure as hell don't trust him!_

"This is different." He muttered, before he put the car into gear and headed off in the direction of Mei's house.

Trinity stared at the couple in front of him who had both simultaneously began to glow purple.

 _This is going to be a long fucking mission._ He muttered, to himself.

* * *

"So, you are able to use your spiritual energy to create shields, as well as use it locate others that you have come in contact with once before." Trinity said, thoughtfully. "You are also able to call forth your purification powers physically."

Their small team was currently staking out Mei's house, waiting for her to return. To pass the time, Kagome had filled Trinity in on her powers.

"Put simply, yes." Kagome said, softly.

"Did you learn these things all by yourself?"

"Kind of. My shield used to come up preemptively at times when I was in danger. After a few times, I tried to mimic the experience, and in a few years, I learned how to do it at will." She admitted. "I also learned how to use my tracking abilities in a similar fashion. I found that I was able to sense people that I was close to. Over time, I started to intentionally try to hone in on others. With practice, it became pretty simple. Each person has a unique feel to them and no two people's spiritual compositions are the same, much like a fingerprint." She offered, as an analogy. "If I focus on a person's unique spiritual imprint, I am able to locate them within a thirty mile radius." She said, proudly. "However, Fang is a special case. I am pretty certain that I'd be able to lock onto his spiritual energy regardless of distance."

"How is that possible?" Trinity asked, curiously.

"A part of her soul lives within me. It's mixed in with mine." Koga answered. "It was a gift." He said, softly.

"A gift? That doesn't make any sense. A soul cannot mingle with another's and live on in a separate body."

"Well, it did and it does." Kagome said, casually. "I don't know how it happened, but I can promise you that it did, in fact, happen. We kind of blended somehow. I can reach into him at any time and when I do, we are connected and able to experience each other's feelings. It's unbelievably intimate." Kagome admitted. "It's beautiful."

"Can Fang connect to you?" Trinity asked, lost in thought.

Kagome frowned. "I don't think so."

"Have you tried?" Trinity asked, directing the question over to Fang.

"How does one try?" Koga asked, simply. "I wouldn't know how to begin to try to spiritually connect with someone even if you thoroughly explained it to me."

"You would just need to relax and focus on the feel of my soul." Kagome offered.

Koga laughed. "Is that all? How very simple." He teased. "This is like me trying to teach you how to extend your teeth. Just visualize pressure coming forth from above your gums. Let me know if it works." Koga said, with mock enthusiasm.

His words were immediately rewarded with Kagome's laughter.

Koga almost snorted as he watched her stare into his rearview mirror and curl her lip as she honestly attempted to try it.

"Extend your teeth?" Trinity asked, gruffly. "Is that something you can do?"

The man's voice had become deep and on edge.

Koga didn't immediately answer him, he instead looked up into his rearview mirror and studied him, noticing that Trinity had removed his shades and was openly staring at him, his hand tightly fisting around his necklace.

As if sensing the shift in the mood, Kagome twisted in her seat and looked upon Trinity.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly, as she tried to read his face.

"What happened to your neck?" Trinity spat.

Apparently when Kagome had twisted, her sweater had shifted and exposed the bite mark that Koga had left on the crook of her neck.

"A hickey." Kagome said quickly, as her hand flew up to her neck, pulling her sweater down and over the mark.

Kagome found that Trinity's lack of irises and pupils were incredibly frustrating. She never had any idea of where the man was ever looking.

"That is _not_ a hickey." He hissed.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Kagome said, becoming concerned.

"What type of demon are you?" Trinity said angrily, as he turned his head in Koga's direction.

"The good kind." Kagome answered for him. "Now tell me what is going on. That's an order." Kagome said, authoritatively.

Trinity seemed to hesitate.

"I specialize in purifying demons." He said, roughly. "My family has been doing it for many centuries across the Balkan peninsula." Trinity said, before pausing.

Kagome nodded at him, encouraging him to go on.

"At one time, there was a great need for my family's gifts. There was a large threat that had been slowly been moving in from the North, attempting to conquer, enslave or devour the human race." He said quickly, as his hand tightened around his necklace. "Luckily, the Hunters were able to band together and push the threat back." He grumbled, as his eyes narrowed at Koga.

"The Hunters?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"Yes, my family and others like us. We were called Hunters." Trinity said, harshly.

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Koga growled, becoming impatient.

"Did he bite you, Wraith?" Trinity asked, avoiding Koga's question.

"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" Koga chimed in.

"Stay focused, Trinity. What was the giant threat that your family was battling against centuries ago?" Kagome said seriously, as she attempted to hold Trinity's eyes.

"Werewolves." He hissed, as he stared at Kagome's neck.

"That's fucking ridiculous!" Koga spat, before erupting into an obnoxious fit of laughter. The action of which, exposed his prominent canine teeth.

Trinity obviously didn't miss them and he immediately stiffened.

"He's not a werewolf." Kagome said quickly, as she felt a tingle of warning shoot up her spine. "And if you try to use your purification powers right now in the way that you are thinking, I will kill you." She said, simply. "Are we clear?"

Koga immediately shut up and gaped, his horrified gaze flying over to Kagome.

However, Kagome was too busy holding Trinity's eyes with her own as she twisted in her seat. She watched on as the man blinked a few times before he released the hold that he had on his necklace.

 _A real silver bullet?_ Kagome's mind said in wonder, as the full necklace, along with its unusual charm, came into view. _This guy is no joke._

"I don't believe in senseless killings." Trinity said, angrily. "Don't assume that you know what I am thinking."

"I don't have to assume anything. My powers just warned me that you were about to do something incredibly dangerous."

"I will protect myself from him if I have to, agent Wraith."

"He is not a threat to you, agent Trinity."

" _I am_ sitting right here! Don't talk about me as if I don't exist!" Koga growled. "I am not a threat and I am not a werewolf, Trinity."

"Then, what type of demon are you?" Trinity pushed, pursuing the answer to his earlier line of questioning.

"I'm a wolf demon." Koga said, seriously.

"Same shit!" Trinity roared. "Same. Fucking. Thing."

"Is not."

"Is too!"

"Grow up!" Kagome shouted, completely out of patience. "Werewolves are only things in stories."

"How shallow can you be?" "You're splitting hairs over a _word_ that is being used to describe the same exact type of demon!" Trinity said, angrily. "In North America, the numerous Native American tribes had called them 'Wolf Spirits' in their many different languages. In Japan, you call them 'Wolf Demons'. In parts of Europe, WE call them 'Werewolves'. The list goes on and on!"

Koga and Kagome stared at him completely stupefied, as if this thought had never occurred to either of them.

"There are many things that were changed in legend and lore over the centuries, but I assure you, regardless of the word that is being used or the language, we are ALL, globally, talking about the same type of demon." Trinity said, seriously. "They group together in large packs, following the lead of an alpha and they disguise themselves as humans. In European stories, the transformation back to their true wolf form requires a full moon, but in reality, there is no such requirement. In European stories, they bite humans to turn them into werewolves, but in reality, they eat humans alive." Trinity said, angrily. "Those who were bitten and were lucky enough to get away, would usually die much later from a festering bacterial infection. If you ask any medical practitioner they'd tell you that untreated bacterial infections eventually do poison the blood and will cause a person hallucinate and act crazy before they die. This scenario was romanticized in stories as being the telltale signs of the beginnings of the werewolf transformation… the first stage of 'the change' that no one ever survived." Trinity said, knowingly.

"I had no idea." Kagome said, incredulously. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I." Koga grumbled sarcastically, however his eyes betrayed his tone. They were wide with wonder.

"Don't get me wrong. Not all werewo…" Trinity paused, before changing the word. "Not all wolf demons are bad. I've studied them over the course of my life and I've worked with quite a few gifted Native Americans on my current Canadian base and on the U.S. base that I had lived on prior. Most Native American tribes deeply respected and honored the wolf demons. They lived in harmony with them and included them within their culture. The wolf demons also helped most tribes fight against the new settlers that were trying to come in and steal their land. I'm not so ignorant as to group all wolf demons together and label them as being evil. However, I will say that the Scandinavian wolf demons were some serious assholes. They slaughtered so many of my people and I do bear them a grudge."

"I'm so sorry." Kagome said, sadly.

Trinity seemed to read her sincerity for a moment before nodding his head. "Thank you."

"I promise you that Fang isn't anything like the demons that your family had to fight against in the past." Kagome said, honestly. "He ruled over all of Japan. His united pack hid away from the humans and did not allow for the consumption of them." Kagome said, proudly.

"That's a relief." Trinity said, as he finally allowed himself to relax. "So that means that your real name isn't Lucian and you do not have any Scandinavian ties." Trinity joked, as he chuckled to himself.

Both Koga and Kagome stared at each other with wide eyes.

"You both just panicked." Trinity whispered, once again stiffening. "You really are of Scandinavian background then?"

"No, I'm not." Koga growled. "Read my aura as much as you'd like because that's the God damn truth. And before you ask, my real name is not Lucian."

Trinity stared at him for a moment. "Then, why did you both panic before?" He pushed.

"Because we both read the Aethelwulf series." Kagome said quickly, as she forced the sudden image of Annika far from her mind.

Trinity immediately scowled. "I am overly familiar with that filth. Those stupid books attempt to glorify and romanticize the most evil werewolf of all time."

"The sex scenes are pretty good." Koga mumbled, as if lost in thought.

"I can't argue with that." Trinity muttered, as he sighed.

* * *

On her drive home from the hospital, Mei had quickly decided that this day had been the second worst day of her entire life.

The first worst day had been the day that her brother was born. But _this_ _day_ , had come in a close second.

Not only did her earlier actions actually manage to assist Yuu in winning their bet, but she also had to spend the last four hours at the hospital so that she could sit through the painful resetting of her nose. If that hadn't been bad enough, her entire face had swelled and her eyes did along with it. Her head looked like it had been run over by a bulldozer.

She just wanted to go home and hide inside for the next year of her life. But if she knew Yuu, he would be stopping by to gloat the moment that he got off of work, and once he did, he would want to know what happened to her face.

Mei sighed.

She had filled out a police report. However, all the footage of the scuffle in the parking lot along with the woman's credit card information, had suspiciously been lost by the restaurant and there was no way of finding out the identity of the thug that had attacked her.

Mei seethed. _I hope I bump into that bitch again, and when I do, I will slice her in two!_

How was Mei to know that the woman she had provoked had been some sort of crazed UFC fighter? No normal person should have been able to land a single blow against her. It was obvious to her that the woman had significant fight training. The way she attempted to jump her after she had broken her nose, was something that Mei had only seen in UFC matches on T.V.

 _I underestimated her and will not do so again._ She thought to herself, as she pulled up to the front gate of her property.

* * *

"She's home." Trinity said in a sing song voice, as he watched a car that he only saw in magazines pull up to Mei's gate.

 _Trinity is enjoying this way too much._ Koga thought to himself, as he studied the car.

As Kagome was going to give the order for Trinity to go and distract Mei in some way, her throwaway phone rang.

It was a number she didn't know.

 _It's probably Yuu._ She thought to herself, as she glanced at the time and quickly answered the call.

"Age… uh. Wraith speaking." She said, softly.

"Wraith, it is good to hear your voice again. I'm finally off the clock and ready to talk." He said quickly. "What's up?"

 _He sounds cheerful._ She thought to herself.

"Uh, have you spoken to your sister?" She asked, curiously.

Yuu sighed on the other end of the line. "You're still hell bent on speaking with her too, aren't you? Couldn't I suffice? I can speak for the both of us." He grumbled, apparently losing patience.

 _He doesn't know what happened yet._ Kagome realized, as she tried to ignore the way that Koga had slowly begun to lean over her in an obvious attempt to eavesdrop.

"I'm sorry, but I really do need to speak with the both of you as soon as possible." She said, urgently.

Yuu sucked his teeth. "Fine. Where are you? I'll come and pick you up and we can stop by my sister's together. I am headed over there anyway."

"I'd prefer to meet you there." Kagome said, sweetly.

"I'm not a serial killer or a crazed stalker, if that's what you're worried about." Yuu said, smoothly. "There's no harm in picking you up."

"That's exactly what a serial killer or stalker would say." She said, cheerfully.

Yuu erupted into a roar of laughter. "That's true. I'll head over to my sister's house right now. Her address is …." He said, as quickly rattled the address off. "When can you meet me?"

"Five minutes?"

"See you then, Wraith." Yuu's voice said in a low whisper, before he hung up the phone.

"That went really well!" Kagome announced happily to the car. "It's easier to go in there with him versus trying to talk to her alone after what just happened." She said, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Let's see how he feels about things once he sees his sister's face." Trinity warned. "You broke her nose, Wraith. There's no way he's not going to notice."

"And he's not going to be too happy when he meets up with you and he sees us with you." Koga said, smugly.

"You two are going to wait in the car until I give you the signal. I plan on talking to Yuu first, before we enter the property to talk to Mei. Once that happens, I'll call you two over."

"Sounds perfectly logical." Trinity said, in agreement.


	14. Chapter 14

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 14

 _Dearest sister, you are the best!_ Yuu thought happily to himself, as he sped along the highway.

He had to hand it to Mei, based upon the obvious urgency that laced Wraith's voice during their phone call, the woman seemed desperate to see him. Apparently, his sister had expertly managed to drive a wedge between Wraith and her fiancé with the little stunt that she pulled back in that restaurant.

His sister truly was a gifted strategic tactician, however she overlooked one tiny possibility in her seemingly fail proof plan.

The man she was trying to seduce was not interested in her.

Since such a thing had never before happened, Mei was incapable of planning for a way to work around the unforeseen scenario. Instead, she had panicked and idiotically threw herself at Wraith's fiancé. A part of Yuu actually felt bad for her.

However, he did have to commend her on her timing. Mei had waited until he and Wraith had crossed behind her fiancé's back, so neither of them was able to tell who had kissed whom. All they were able to see when they walked by, was the connection of their lips before Mei had gotten up and quickly walked away.

If he knew his sister, he knew she would be absolutely furious right now. Not only had the man she had so transparently been interested in rejected her, she had also lost their bet and would have to host mom and dad for a few days.

 _She's definitely pissed._ He thought happily to himself. _I can't wait to see her face!_ He thought, as he parked his red Porsche 959 Coupe in front of his sister's gate and jumped out to approach the intercom.

Before he could push the button, a cheerful "Hi!" sounded out from behind him, causing him to jump.

"I'm sorry! Did I startle you?" Kagome said sweetly, as she smiled at him.

Yuu bit his cheek. "Keh. As if." He grumbled, as he tried to smooth out the frown that was threatening to form on his face. "Where the hell did you come from?" He asked curiously, taking note of the absence of a car. "Did you walk here or something?"

"I parked down the street." Kagome said, quickly. "Look, I really need to talk to you. After you left the restaurant, some shit went down." She admitted. "And I kind of… punched your sister."

A few seconds ticked by as Yuu tried to process this information.

"You hit my sister?" He said, in disbelief.

 _That's not possible._

"You actually mean to say that you _tried_ to hit her, right? Not that you actually landed a punch."

"No, I landed a punch alright, and a very powerful one at that." Kagome admitted. "I think I may have broken her nose." She said, calmly.

Yuu studied the woman before him in disbelief. "Is that why you wanted to meet up with me? So that you could find out where she lived?" He asked, suspiciously. "Look, I know my sister is a bitch, and after what she did today, I don't blame you for losing your cool. But, using me to get to her is a very big 'no no'." He growled.

"I am _not_ using you to get to her. Have you forgotten that _you_ approached _me_? I clearly told you at the restaurant that I needed to speak with both of you." Kagome said, with forced patience. "You and your sister are in great danger. My friends and I were sent here to protect you." She said, honestly. " _Both_ of you." She stressed.

"Great. A fucking psychopath." Yuu grumbled, as he began to shake his head. "You'd better leave."

 _I knew she was too good to be true._ He thought, angrily.

"I'm not a psychopath, I am an elite soldier." Kagome said proudly, while pushing right along with the conversation. "I know that there has been an attempt on Mei's life recently. The man that broke into her house was sent there to kill her. He belonged to a religious group that is hell bent on killing gifted individuals. These people _will_ come back." Kagome warned. "And they won't just be coming for your sister, they'll be coming for _you_ as well."

Yuu stared at her as if she had ten heads.

"I'm calling the police." He grumbled.

"They won't be able to help you."

"But _you_ supposedly can?" Yuu said sarcastically, as he began to laugh. "I'll have you know that Mei and I are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves."

"If that were true then I wouldn't need to be here right now." Kagome said, firmly. "Mei couldn't even protect herself from a swift punch to the face."

"I still find that very hard to believe. No one has ever been able to land a hit on Mei. No one except, _me_." He stressed.

Kagome sighed. "Call and ask her. I'll wait." She said nonchalantly, as she began to study her nails.

 _There's just no way._ Yuu thought to himself as he indulged her, making quick work of pulling out his phone and quickly sending a request for a video call out to his sister.

Mei promptly declined the request, forcing him to try again.

After four attempts, Yuu lost his patience and voice called her.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Leave me alone." She hissed, in an unusually high pitched and nasal voice.

"What happened after I left the restaurant today?" He said impatiently, as he stared at Kagome.

"Not a thing." Mei responded.

"You sound sick."

"I have a cold. Now leave me alone." Mei demanded.

Yuu closed his eyes and begged for patience.

"I heard you got into a fight today." He whispered. "Were you injured?"

Yuu could make out a furious intake of air on the other end of the line before his sister promptly ended the call.

"I'm going in there." Yuu bit out, as he angrily stared down at his phone.

Kagome slowly approached Yuu and gently placed her hand over his wrist, slowly pushing the phone out of his line of vision and forcing him to meet her eyes.

"I promise you." She said, as she searched his familiar fiery eyes. "I am here to protect you. I'm not lying. I know that none of this makes sense right now, but all I am asking for is a chance to properly explain. I would never _ever_ hurt you." She said honestly, as she desperately attempted to force her brain to accept that the man before her was not, in fact, Inuyasha.

Yuu felt his anger immediately slip away as he lost himself within Kagome's intoxicating scent and serious eyes while trying to ignore the gentle electricity that her touch had left on his skin. Her words felt so sincere and genuine to him that they left him questioning his current state of mind.

"I… believe you." He whispered softly, the realization coming together into words and tumbling from his lips without permission.

"Then please help me to convince your sister. When she sees me, she is _not_ going to want to listen to anything I have to say."

"She isn't." Yuu conceded. "If what you said earlier was true, then she will try to kill you instead." He admitted in a whisper, as he held her gaze.

Several long seconds passed before he noticed that Wraith was looking up at him expectantly and he struggled to understand why.

Thankfully, the woman seemed happy to help him out.

"So, could _you_ speak to her? The men I was with earlier are soldiers, just like I am. I'd like it if we could all come inside and peacefully talk. Could you find a way to make that happen?" She pushed.

"So you really weren't with that guy?" Yuu quickly concluded, hurriedly speaking before he was able to force the excitement out of his voice. "He was just someone you worked with then? A fellow solider?"

"That soldier's name is Fang and I am really with him. He's my husband." Kagome said, honestly. "We just happen to work together."

The confusing joy that had so quickly flooded into Yuu's heart was immediately replaced with rage and he struggled to understand why.

"He wasn't wearing a wedding ring and neither are you." He spat.

"We never got married." Kagome admitted. "We consider each other to be husband and wife, but we've never had an official ceremony."

"So then you're _NOT_ married." Yuu said arrogantly, before turning around and reproaching his sister's intercom and requesting that she open the gate. "If you'd consider me to be a big white dog and I agreed with you, it wouldn't really make me one, now would it?" He said, obnoxiously.

 _Out of all the analogies to make…_ Kagome's mind sputtered.

"My sister is going to be so happy to know that _Fang_ isn't completely off the market." Yuu said, smugly. "Not like she would really care if he was married, or not. But, it would make for less of a scandal if something about them should happen to hit the tabloids." He muttered.

 _What kind of idiotic name is, Fang?_ His mind seethed, as he watched Wraith's face twist into a scowl as she processed his spiteful words.

As soon as Yuu heard Mei's gates begin to slowly open behind him, he spoke again.

"Let me go in and talk to her first. I'll call you over if I believe she's willing to listen. In the meantime, be prepared to defend yourself in the event that she goes on a rampage." Yuu said quickly, before he walked off to the entrance of Mei's house.

* * *

"You led her here?! You, moron!" Mei screamed.

It was bad enough that she had to face Yuu in her current battered state, but to find out that the idiot had given her attacker her address was beyond all comprehension.

"She knows about the guy that broke in here the other day, Mei. She said she is here specifically so that she can protect us." Yuu spat, wondering why the hell he felt so compelled to help Wraith at all.

He didn't know a damn thing about her. For all he knew, she could actually be connected to the man that had broken into his sister's house in the first place. Additionally, the woman had very much been capable of landing a hit on his sister. The proof was in the horrific shit show that currently replaced his sister's once beautiful face.

 _But, she seems to be so sincere._ His mind interjected in response to the negative thought, as he remembered her heartfelt promise to never hurt him.

Wraith spoke to him with such a comfortable familiarity and she touched him without any pretense, as if they were the closest of friends in the world. He found her behavior around him to be unnerving yet invigorating at the same time.

The woman was an enigma.

"You're thinking with your dick, not your fucking head!" Mei roared, as she stomped off towards her living room.

"I am not!" Yuu growled, as he rubbed his temples.

 _I knew this wouldn't go smoothly._ His mind chided. _Try a different way._

"In case you were wondering, she _is_ engaged to that guy you kissed." Yuu shouted over to her, as he listened to her march across her living room. "His name is Fang, and he also wants to come inside so that he can talk to us, too." He said, praying that the different tactic would somehow work.

There was a momentary pause before he heard Mei's footsteps quickly reproach him.

 _Good. Maybe she's willing to listen._ He thought, somewhat relieved.

"If we're smart about this and we actually work together for once, we might actually have a chance at each of them. That's what we both want, isn't it?"

Mei ignored him as she blew past him and headed straight out her front door. Yuu didn't miss the fact that she had her katana in hand as she did so.

 _How fucking predictable, Mei._ His mind grumbled, as he took off after her.

* * *

From her position at the bottom of the driveway, Kagome watched as Mei stormed out of her front door with a katana in hand.

She also took note of the metallic splint that had been secured to her nose with white medical tape and the woman's swollen and blackened eyes.

Despite all the swelling, Mei was somehow able to twist her face into a scowl before angrily pulling the sheath off of her sword and throwing it to the side. The moment that she did so, she charged down the long driveway in Kagome's direction.

 _Good job, Yuu._ Kagome mentally sighed to herself, before taking a step backwards and spreading her legs shoulder width apart. Once she was grounded, she spread her arms out into a readied position.

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment so that she could center herself mentally and an old memory sprung forth into her mind.

* * *

 _"Listen up, Rai." Inspect shouted over to her beaten and battered teenage pupil. "Taekwondo is great, but there are going to be certain scenarios where it will not be your best choice for offense or defense on the battlefield." She spat, as she pulled out a hand gun that had been loaded with rubber bullets. "You rely too heavily on it."_

 _"Yes, ma'am."_

 _"If your target has a long range weapon and you don't, you are already at a great disadvantage." Inspect said, quickly. "By the time you charge to attack me, I will get a maximum of three rounds off in you."_

 _"Yes, ma'am."_

 _"So how do you take out an attacker that has the advantage of both a weapon and range on their side?"_

 _"By taking their advantage away from them."_

 _"How?" Inspect said gruffly, as she walked away from her and turned around several feet off into the distance while pointing her gun at her. "Show me."_

 _Kagome nodded signaling she was ready and Inspect immediately began to fire._

* * *

Kagome opened her eyes and threw her blue protective shield over her, focusing the energy as tightly and as thickly as she could over her body. She then immediately bolted to her left and rolled, before springing up and flipping to her right, forcing her body into an acrobatic zigzag pattern while Mei directly charged at her with her katana held firmly overhead.

As Mei got within several feet of her, Kagome leapt to her left and Mei immediately swung her sword in a fashion that even the highest ranked Japanese kendo masters would appreciate, masterfully in her direction.

As Kagome's move intentionally set up Mei's direction of attack, she was able to fall to the ground and, with utmost speed, roll her body over to Mei's feet before Mei could pull her sword back from the full sweep of its fatal swing.

Kagome, being well aware of this, quickly sprung to her feet. When she did so, her face was now a mere inch away from Mei's, and the newfound close proximity allowed her to grasp the hand that the woman was using to hold onto the handle of her sword.

As Mei's eyes widened in realization, Kagome twisted her body and crouched down before erupting from the ground and slamming her shoulder into Mei's chest, quickly and effectively catapulting the woman down onto her back in the middle of the driveway.

The moment that Mei hit the ground, Kagome twisted over her and wrapped her free hand over Mei's wrist, harshly pushing her fingers into the woman's P-6 pressure point, while her other hand twisted the handle of the katana completely out of Mei's grasp.

With the weapon now in hand, Kagome immediately spun away from her and pointed the tip of the sword's blade down at Mei, who was dumbly staring up at her from her supine position on the pavement.

It was in this moment that Kagome felt the wind begin to angrily pick up around her before she became aware of a slow clapping noise sounding off in the background. Mei seemed to become aware of it too, and it was only when she began to scan around for the source that Kagome relaxed, noticing that the wind that had begun to dissipate along with Mei's obvious distraction.

 _Don't forget that this bitch can control the wind!_ Kagome's mind warned, keeping her on paused alert.

"Bravo!" Yuu shouted, as he continued to clap his hands while slowly approaching the women. "That was fan-fucking-tastic!" He said happily, as he genuinely smiled.

Yuu walked over to Mei and reached his hand out in an attempt to help her up.

He seemed unruffled when she angrily smacked it away from her line of vision and made to stand on her own.

"Looks like the least you can do is hear the woman out now." He said, roughly. "Isn't that right, Mei?" He growled in warning.

Mei said nothing as she turned and walked back to her house. When she reentered, she left the door open behind her.

"See! You are now welcome in!" Yuu said, before he began to chuckle.

"I feel honored." Kagome said, sarcastically as she dropped her protective shield.

The comment had Yuu laughing loudly and turning around to face her. "What fighting style were you using just now?"

"Krav Maga."

"Shit. You really are military." He spat, before turning his eyes towards the bottom of the driveway. "You can let your friends know they can come in, too." He said, before he walked off in the direction of the house.

Kagome turned around and saw Koga and Trinity standing at the bottom of the driveway. Koga was proudly beaming at up her and Trinity was staring… off in some unknown direction, most likely at Mei's open door.

"You were supposed to wait in the car!" Kagome said angrily, as her team approached her.

"I should have." Koga admitted. "But I just…".

"Reacted. Like you always do." Kagome finished for him, as she rubbed her temples. "What's your excuse?" She huffed, as she shifted her gaze over to Trinity."

"I wanted to watch the fight." He said, honestly. "Once Fang left, it felt like a free pass to leave the car."

"Unbelievable." Kagome grumbled as she began to walk to Mei's home, motioning for the men to come with her.

* * *

"So you understand now why we must protect you?" Kagome said seriously, as she studied Mei and Yuu's faces.

She had just briefed them on everything that she knew about The Order. She had also told them that she and her small team were a part of an elite military group that the government had sent in to help them.

The information that she had given them had immediately angered Yuu and he began to pace the length of the living room.

His sister, however, seemed completely uninterested and was playing on her phone as she sat on her pristine, white leather couch.

"You can leave now." Mei said calmly, as she waved her hand at Kagome, while never once looking up from the screen of her phone. "You and your little soldiers are _dismissed_."

"Not happening!" Yuu roared, as he threw his hands up and flew into his sister's face. "You don't get to make that decision!"

Mei looked up at him and narrowed her eyes in warning.

Yuu ignored her silent threat and turned to Kagome. "Are you sure the three of you are going to be enough? How big is this group that we're up against?"

"We are unsure of their numbers here in Japan." She admitted. "Our information is sparse. But rest assured, the three of us are some of the very best. Trinity and I have similar powers to those employed by this group. We are the best choice to protect you."

"What about _him_?" Mei said aloofly, as she pointed her finger at Koga. "What can he do?"

"He's the best offensive type fighter that we have. He also has acute sensory and tracking abilities. No one is going to be able to sneak up on you without him knowing it and if an attacker gets near you, he can tear them to shreds in an instant." Kagome smugly informed her.

"Any problems with that?" Koga growled, as he scowled at Mei.

"How will this protection that you are offering work?" She asked, completely ignoring Koga's question.

"We planned on rotating shifts."

"That's not enough!" Yuu said, quickly.

"I can assure you…" Kagome started, before Yuu abruptly cut her off.

"Yea, I know. You can assure me that you're all the very best, blah, blah, blah. But, I want more than just one person assigned to my sister at all times. Can you call in for more manpower?"

"No, I can't. We don't have that option." Kagome said angrily, as she tried not to let Yuu's 'take charge attitude' get under her skin. "However, _if_ we _didn't_ need to split up to guard each of you, there would be more of us to go around." She said quickly, hoping Yuu would take the bait.

Yuu looked to be deep in thought for several moments before he sighed. "Keh. You give me no choice then." He said angrily to himself, before making a point to meet everyone's eyes. "You all are going to have stay with me for the duration of your assignment." He ordered, leaving no room for argument. "That includes you, Mei." He growled.

Mei immediately frowned and the moment she opened her mouth to complain, she was silenced by her younger brother's angry finger poking her forehead. "Not one fucking word." He spat as he tapped her head in warning. "Those murderers have already broken in here once and I don't want you staying here. Wraith is right, it makes more sense if we all group together in one place instead of divvying up."

"If you think…" Mei hissed.

"Shut up!" Yuu roared. "If anything fucking happens to you…" He spat, before trailing off.

These words, combined with his obvious concern for her, seemed to momentarily stupefy Mei and she wisely stopped speaking.

Kagome exchanged glances with Koga and Trinity and nodded, which caused Koga to storm out of the living room and Trinity to smile widely.

"Sounds good. My people and I will set up base across the street at your place. I'm going to have my men bring our things there."

Yuu nodded and held her eyes. ""Thank you." He muttered.

"You can thank me by taking the rest of the week off." Kagome ordered.

"Not a problem." Yuu grumbled, as he took out his phone. "I can work from home anyway."

"Good."

* * *

"I don't like this." Koga growled, as he began to carry several large duffel bags filled with weapons and artillery into Yuu's large estate.

"But this scenario provides us with the highest probability of success." Kagome said softly, as she and Trinity assisted in getting their belongings out of the car and into the enormous estate.

"You manipulated him." Koga mumbled, as he dropped the heavy bags with a loud thud.

"Yes, I did. I was doing my job." Kagome said, sternly. "It was in everyone's best interest to lead him to a conclusion that would offer the least amount of resistance and the maximum amount of protection."

"So what are we supposed to do now? Hang out with these two maniacs all day for a week?" Koga spat, as he began to lose his patience.

"You do remember that this is a mission, don't you? We were never really on vacation, Fang. Our job has always been to provide 24/7 protection to these two, and we're going to do just that. Our make shift base only existed so that we would have a center of operations as we shadowed the Ishii siblings without their knowledge. However, I decided that the best way to protect these two would be to inform them of our presence. Since they have now invited us in, there is no longer any need for us to operate from the apartment." Kagome retorted, as she lowered their suitcases and absentmindedly rubbed at her neck.

"Ow." She whispered, as she sucked her teeth.

The sound caught Koga's attention and his head tilted to the side as he momentarily studied her.

"What's wrong?" He said seriously as he walked over to her, removing her hand from its place on her neck and pulling the collar of her sweater back.

"I must have moved the wrong way." She said softly, as her mate leaned over her and sniffed at the bite mark that he had left on her skin.

"It smells like it's beginning to get infected." He said, remorsefully as his face ghosted into the shadow of a frown.

"How can that be? I put some peroxide on it in the morning."

"I'm sorry." Koga said, softly.

"You should be. No one survives 'the change'. I'm probably going to go completely nuts and die now." Kagome said, quickly.

As Koga erupted into a fit of laughter, Trinity sucked his teeth in the background.

"I'm glad you two think that what I say is so funny." He said, angrily. "Maybe you should tell your fiancé to brush his fucking teeth before he tries to eat you again."

"Hey! I do brush my teeth! I do so after every meal." Koga said seriously, as he flashed Trinity his beautifully white teeth.

"Then maybe you should change your diet. If the bite is getting infected, then you have some serious funk living in that big mouth of yours."

"You would be the expert wouldn't you? Maybe if this gig doesn't work out for you, you could become a dentist, Trinity. You could melt that silver bullet down and use it for fillings and you could purify any, and all, bacteria that might be festering in people's mouths."

Kagome giggled at Koga's words as she took her work phone out and took a picture of the bite mark. She then quickly sent the picture off to Anatomy.

 _"I have a wound that looks as though it is getting infected. What should I do?"_ She wrote.

Anatomy surprised her by quickly responding.

 _"What the hell bit you? You'll need to treat that with peroxide and amoxicillin. Do you need a script?"_

 _"Yes, please. Fang bit me by accident. I'm in Tokyo and the nearest pharmacy is…"_

Kagome looked up from her phone in thought for a moment before hesitantly continuing.

 _"… the Matsumoto Kyoshi. My fake documentation has my name listed as Aika Endo."_

 _"WTF – he bit you by accident?! I'll send something over now. Is your bonding scent no longer working on him? Did he attack you?!"_

 _"No, my scent is working just fine. It's just a love bite from a few hours ago."_

 _"A love bite? If it's only been a few hours and it's already infected then it is pretty bad, Wraith. What the hell is living in Fang's mouth? Do wolf demons brush their teeth? Speaking of your bonding scent, don't forget you have upcoming daily appointments for your hormonal collections starting on next Thursday."_

 _"Thank you! Yes, he does brush his teeth. P.S. - I didn't forget about the appointments, but thanks for the reminder."_

She wrote, before looking up and addressing Koga.

"Anatomy thinks you should see a dentist, too. He says that my wound is pretty bad if only a few hours have passed and it is already infected." She announced, as she put her phone away.

"See!" Trinity said smugly from his corner of the main entranceway.

"But my mouth _is_ clean!" Koga said, quickly becoming defensive. "I take very good care of my teeth."

"Says the guy named 'Fang'." Trinity mumbled loudly under his breath. "Wonder which one of us should really become a dentist."

"Maybe you ate something bad." Kagome interjected, as she studied Koga's face.

"Like what?"

Kagome tried to recall the food that they ate yesterday and was rewarded with the image of the raw meat platter that had been offered as an appetizer at Ginta and Annika's house, which Koga had indulged in.

"Like raw meat." Kagome groaned, beginning to feel sick.

"Bingo. There's your answer. The prerequisite for any bacterial infection is bacteria, which just so happens to be found all over raw meat." Trinity called out over his shoulder. "Aside from what's going on with your neck, if your tongues just so happened to be in each other's mouths at all, you better ask your doctor to give you something strong enough to also kill E. coli and Salmonella while you're at it. If you don't, you really will go through 'the change' and your stomach will fall out of your ass before your festering wound even gets the chance to kill you."

"Would you shut up?!" Koga hissed in his direction. "No one is even talking to you."

"Are you getting upset that Trinity is eavesdropping?" Kagome asked, incredulously.

Koga swiftly ignored her question. "You didn't give me a chance to brush my teeth when we got back to the apartment last night." He said, worriedly. "It's been so long since I've eaten anything raw, that I didn't even think twice about enjoying it again. I should have thought it through." He said sadly, as he brushed his fingers lightly over her neck.

Kagome sighed as she remembered the way she practically jumped Koga the moment he had walked through the apartment's door, and she once again took out her work phone to write Anatomy a message.

 _"Fang ate raw meat before he bit me, and I've kissed him several times since then. Am I going to get sick?"_

 _"What the hell are you two doing over there?"_

 _"Vacationing."_

 _"What kind of vacation is this?!"_

 _"The wolf demon kind."_

 _"Sounds like a great time. Remind me to never go on a vacation with a wolf demon. SMH. The amoxicillin that I'm prescribing you will fight against all of those things. Start taking it immediately!"_

Kagome sighed. "I have to borrow the car to go grab medicine. I'll be right back." She said, as she fished into Koga's pocket and took his keys. "Have Yuu walk you both through his security system and don't let him, or his sister, out of your sight." She instructed, as she exited through the front door.

* * *

Kagome stared at the giant sized pill that she was supposed to swallow from the driver's seat of Koga's car.

 _Anatomy went all out._ She thought to herself as she checked the dosage, before washing the large pill down with water and nearly gagging as she did so.

Once she was sure the pill was down, she looked up and out the windshield and was rewarded with the sight of the red tori gate that served as an entrance to her family's shrine.

The shrine just so happened to be around the corner from the Matsumoto Kyoshi drug store that she had stopped at, and Kagome had picked the drug store intentionally just so that she could drive by and catch a glimpse of her old home.

However, driving by hadn't been enough. So, she decided to park right across the street from the shrine just so that she could take her pill while she stared at it.

 _Anatomy did say to start the medication immediately._ She thought, attempting to justify her behavior. _I can't take such a large pill while I'm driving, so I had to pull over._ She continued, as she looked up at the shrine.

She sat there while the engine idled for about ten minutes, while her thoughts drifted over to her family.

 _Those two Ishii siblings don't know how good they have it._ She thought to herself. _They get to be together_. Her mind sadly reminded her, as her thoughts turned over to her brother.

 _Sota._

On a whim, she pulled out her throwaway phone and created a false email address. Once it was set up, she immediately began to write an email to her brother, recalling the contact information from the business card that he had secretly given her when they last bumped into each other.

 _"I hope you read this. It's me. I promised I would find a way to get in touch, so please note down this email address. I'll be around for a week before I have to go off the grid again. How are you and mom? How's Hina? I miss you."_ She wrote quickly, before sending off the email.

She was about to put the car into gear and drive away, when she saw a man and woman scramble down the steps of the shrine. As she watched them, she noticed that her dog, Inuyasha, appeared to be chasing them off of the property. She immediately froze as she watched her brother come up behind the dog and start yelling something that she wasn't able to make out, while he angrily shook his fist in the air.

 _What the hell is going on?_ She wondered.

The pair quickly ran passed her car, and as they did so, Kagome immediately noticed that a portion of their hands were glowing. The glow was eerily reminiscent of the glow of the dead man's hand that she had left back in the Tokyo morgue.

Kagome quickly grabbed her phone and took several pictures of them running away, and several more of the car that they got into and its license plate.

After they peeled off, she looked back in the direction of the shrine.

Sota was standing at the top of the steps staring in the direction of her car.

Kagome focused on his energy and launched her tracking powers, hoping that Sota would be able to see the thick invisible cord of energy that sprung forth and follow it to her.

She smiled as she watched him do exactly that, their big dog following right on his heels.

As Sota approached her car, she lowered the window.

"Get in quick before someone sees you!" She ordered.

Sota didn't need to be told twice. He flung open the door and Inuyasha dove right in. Sota pushed the dog into the back seat before he plopped down into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?!" He whispered happily, before he leaned over and took her in a giant hug.

Inuyasha wanted to get in on the action as well, and he happily began to slobber and lick at them.

"I was in the area." Kagome lied.

"Is your organization having convention here or something?" He said, sarcastically. "Some of your people just left." He said, angrily.

"My people?"

"Yes. I told you the last time I saw you. R.O.O.T keeps coming here to try to recruit me. It was bad before, but now it's fucking constant. They've been here six times in the past four weeks. They just won't stop!" He spat.

Kagome frowned. "R.O.O.T wouldn't harass you in that way, Sota. Granted we're in need of people, but they just don't handle things like that. If you told them that you weren't interested, they wouldn't be back here the very next week. If anything, they might wait a few months or something."

"Is there anything you can do to make them stop? This is ridiculous!"

"Who were those two people that just left the shrine?" Kagome asked, suspiciously.

"Recruiters." Sota said, quickly.

Kagome swallowed nervously as a tingle of warning ran up her spine.

"Those people were NOT with my organization." She said, angrily. "Are they the ones that keep coming here each and every time to talk to you?"

"The woman is. The man she is with is new. This is my first time seeing him. She used to come here with another guy." Sota said seriously, as he studied her. "If they're not with you, who are they?"

 _This is bad._ Kagome thought to herself, while trying her best not to worry.

"They're bad people, Sota. I want you to go back inside and I want you to call the police immediately, do you understand me?" She said, angrily. "You are to call the cops the minute that you get inside."

"What's going on?" Sota said, nervously.

"You noticed that their hands were glowing, didn't you?"

"Yea."

Kagome took a deep breath of relief. _At least he can see it too._

"That's a mark that identifies them. They are people that have holy powers that are similar to ours. They kill people, Sota. They are probably trying to get you to join them." She said, as she massaged her temples. "What do they say to you when they come here?"

"They say that I am one of The Chosen and that I can help them save the world from evil, and they say that they are part of a secret group that is working towards world peace." Sota answered. "Isn't that your organization's mission? To create world peace and save the world?"

"It is, but I promise you, our vision of saving the world is a hell of a lot different from theirs." Kagome informed him. "I can't believe this." She muttered.

"What should I do if they come back?"

"Call the cops and then call me." She instructed, as she quickly took out her throwaway phone and dialed the number that she once committed to memory as being Sota's cell phone.

The line rang a few times and she hung it up as it went into voice mail.

"There. You should have it on your caller ID now. I'll have this phone number for the next week, so let me know if you need anything at all."

"Aren't you going to get in trouble? You're leaving a trail and you're not supposed to be talking to me." Sota said, his voice full of worry.

"It's a throwaway and it's not tied to the organization. I still have to be careful though, but it's something that we can use to communicate in the meantime. I also emailed you on a dummy account. At least we can use email as a way to communicate with each other even after this throwaway phone gets wiped out. I can email you from a public computer off of my base or something." She said, thoughtfully.

Sota nodded. "It's definitely a start." He said, happily. "How are things otherwise?" He asked softly, as he attempted to memorize his sister's face.

"Things are good. I got engaged." Kagome whispered, as she showed Sota her ring.

Sota smiled. "You finally got engaged to the demon… that you consider to be your husband… that you also just happen to work with?!" He said as he recalled their past conversation, before laughing. "I'm glad. Koga was so nervous about asking you."

"Wait. What? How would you know?"

"He was freaking out at the bar of the restaurant that day. That's actually how we began to make small talk. I told him that once he figured out how to propose to his girl, he should share any tips he had with me, since I was planning to do the same thing that night." He said, smiling. "That's why I gave him my blessing that night, on your 'fake' marriage."

Kagome blinked a few times as she processed this information.

"Sota, you asked Hina to marry you?" She said, as her voice rose in excitement.

"I did and she said yes." He said, proudly. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring to show you. The man really gets screwed in the whole engagement deal." He said, chuckling.

Kagome shot out of her seat and wrapped Sota in a giant hug. "Congratulations! I am so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Sis. I'm happy for you, too."


	15. Chapter 15

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 15

 _What the hell am I supposed to do now?_ Kagome thought worriedly to herself, as she pulled into Yuu's driveway.

Should couldn't very well go to Sesshomaru with news that The Order was trying to recruit her brother, could she? She would have to explain how she had come by this information, and in doing so, she would have to admit that she was in direct violation of her contract with R.O.O.T.

She wasn't allowed to go anywhere near her family. Doing so would be immediate grounds for dismissal.

 _I'm on an off the books mission to protect Sesshomaru's family. Maybe he'll show me some leniency if I try to protect mine?_ She thought desperately to herself, before sighing. _I may have used up any of the leniency I was ever going to get after I broke his granddaughter's nose._

Kagome parked Koga's car and stared at the steering wheel while she lost herself within her frantic thoughts.

 _Lives are on the line! You have a lead now! If you choose to ignore it so that you can protect your own ass, people are going die!_ Her mind, screamed.

Kagome rubbed her temples before pulling out her work phone and dialing Sesshomaru's number.

He picked up on the first ring.

"We have to talk." She said, quickly. "Do you have a few minutes?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone before he answered her.

"Go on."

 _God, what to say?_ Kagome exasperatedly thought to herself.

"I did something that I shouldn't have." She admitted. "Please don't fire me."

With these words, Kagome heard the line quickly disconnect.

 _He hung up?_ She realized, before a request for a video call came through.

 _Oh for God's sakes!_ Her mind grumbled in annoyance. _This is so stupid!_

"Do we have to speak this way?!" She hissed, as she accepted the call and stared at Sesshomaru's impassive face.

Sesshomaru said nothing.

"For the love of…!"

"What did you do?" He said interrupting her, in his most stern and intimidating voice.

 _Shit._

"I told you. I did something that I shouldn't have. _However_ …" She stressed. "… I got a lead on The Order."

"How?" He pushed.

"That part isn't important." She said, quickly. "I need you to know that two members of The Order have been showing up at the Higurashi shrine over the past two years. They are trying to recruit the… young man… that lives there." She rambled, hoping that if she spoke fast, Sesshomaru might overlook some of the _insignificant_ details. "Lately, they've been going there at least once a week. You need to assign a team to capture them so that we can turn them over to the Interrogation department. The man that lives at that shrine is in need of our protection." She finished, as her eyes pleaded with Sesshomaru's.

"How long?" Sesshomaru said in a low voice, as his eyes narrowed. "How long have you been violating your contract?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Only twice. My brother and I accidentally ran into each other about a month ago, but we never communicated since then. But today, I drove by the shrine and I saw two members of The Order running off of the property. My brother sensed my presence there and he approached me. He told me that these people have been trying to recruit him for the better part of two years. I couldn't keep this information to myself. If The Order goes back there, and they _will_ go back there, we'll have a real chance at capturing them and gaining some valuable information about their group." Kagome said, quickly.

"I trust that you are fully aware of the repercussions that come along with breaching your contract, agent Wraith." Sesshomaru said angrily, as he frowned at her.

"Can't you please just look the other way? If I didn't speak with him, I wouldn't have been able to provide you with this information." Kagome pleaded.

Sesshomaru continued to scowl at her and Kagome panicked.

"You mean to tell me that I can go on a secret mission to protect _your_ family on my personal time and work with you to hide it from the organization, but you can't look the other way because I drove by my family's shrine and bumped into my brother? This is ridiculous!" She roared. " _My_ family is in trouble too, why don't they count for anything?"

"Wraith…"

"No! Don't you dare call me Wraith! You aren't my boss right now! Technically speaking, I'm _not_ even working, remember? I thought we were _friends_ and now I'm going to lose my job?! This isn't fair! This is unbelievable!"

"Silence!" Sesshomaru roared. "You are _not_ going to lose your job!"

Kagome quieted and stared at Sesshomaru's angry face. Several seconds ticked by before he closed his eyes as if to center himself and he spoke again.

"The repercussion for violating your contract is prompt termination, _Kagome_. However, I was specifically speaking about the repercussions that such a dangerous contractual violation could have on your family."

Kagome sighed. "By contacting them, they could become targets and they could be killed." She said, sadly.

"Did anyone see you there? Did The Order notice you?"

"No. I don't believe…"

"You have to be certain, Kagome. Did _anyone_ see you speak to your brother? Did _The Order_ see you speak to your brother?" He demanded.

"No. They ran passed my car and I was able to take a few pictures of their backs as they got away. They jumped into a car and sped off. I have pictures of the car and the license plate. At no point did either of the two members of The Order notice me, nor did they circle back around." She said, seriously.

Sesshomaru seemed to calm further with this information and he allowed himself to study the worry that was etched into Kagome's face.

"Send the pictures to Jaken. He will pass them along to me. I will put a team on this right away."

"Thank you. I will do so the moment we hang up."

"As R.O.O.T members will soon be assigned to that area, you are to stay as far away from the shrine as possible. This is to prevent your fellow agents from forging a connection between this matter and your involvement in it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I will keep you updated on our findings on this end."

"Thank you." Kagome said, honestly. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you."

"You will have to make it up to me." Sesshomaru said, in a cold and low voice.

At this Kagome smiled. "I will. I promise."

Sesshomaru nodded, before disconnecting the line.

* * *

"So, as you can see, there are twenty cameras surrounding the entire perimeter. They are all motion sensitive. If so much as a mouse crosses the property outside, this entire place is going to light up like a Christmas tree. If anyone gets within twenty feet of this house's perimeter, the alarm will sound." Yuu quickly rattled, as he pointed to a monitor while holding his nose.

 _This 'Fang' guy fucking stinks!_ He thought to himself, as he wandered over to the vacant side of the room. _Out of all gifts to have, why did I have to be blessed with such a heightened sense of smell?! How the hell does Wraith put up with this?! He smells like a God damn zoo!_ He seethed, as he studied Koga from his new place in the corner of the room.

He had first noticed the stench when the man had followed Wraith into Mei's house, but it had been somewhat balanced by Wraith's beautiful scent. Now that she was gone, he could no longer ignore the reek of… wolf?

"This security system is very impressive." Trinity said, as he and Koga looked at all the monitors that covered the walls in the special surveillance room that was located on the main floor of Yuu's house.

"There is nothing impressive about it, you fool. I had the same system." Mei said aloofly, from her place behind Koga. "That man still managed to break in."

"Since you brought it up, can you fill us in on how he got into the house and how you took him out?" Trinity said calmly, as he attempted to ignore her obvious insult.

"The alarm sounded and I checked the cameras, noticing that several of them had been disabled. I promptly called the police to report the situation. Afterwards, I went to my living room to retrieve my sword. It was at that point that I saw a man cutting through my window. He entered my home and I stabbed him in self-defense." She said, curtly. "It was a horrific experience."

"I'm sure it was. I can imagine how traumatic it must have been for you." Koga said sarcastically, as he studied each camera's range of coverage from his place near the monitors. "Too bad there wasn't anyone around to protect him from you."

"Hm." Mei hummed in agreement, while she smirked.

 _Fang really has a way with women._ Trinity thought to himself, as he watched Mei's aura change as he goaded her. _Why do women always fall for the 'bad boys'?_ He wondered.

"Where is Wraith?" Yuu interrupted, as he looked at his watch. "How long does it take to go to the pharmacy? There's one five minutes from here."

"Why do you care so much? She'll be right back." Koga growled, as he glared at Yuu.

"What if something happened to her?" Yuu bit out, impatiently.

Koga openly laughed at the comment.

"Believe me, she is more than capable of taking care of herself. I thought you saw that first hand when you watched her disarm your sister." Koga said quickly. "Unless, you were too busy sizing her up at the time to notice." He accused, as his eyes narrowed.

"Keh. I make you nervous, don't I?" Yuu spat, without missing a beat. "Afraid that your _boss_ might be in the market for an upgrade, soldier boy?"

"If she were, she definitely wouldn't find one here." Koga said smugly, as he waved his hand in indifference.

"Trust me. Anyone would be an upgrade after having to put up with your stench for longer than thirty seconds." Yuu retorted, as he squinted his eyes and theatrically pinched his nose.

"You got something to say to me, mutt face?!" Koga growled, losing his patience. "You'd be the last person on this planet that would ever have the right to complain about the way someone else smells!"

"Mutt face?!" Yuu repeated. "You idiot, what does that even mean?! Did you come up with that comeback all by yourself? Or did you steal it from a fucking four year old?"

At this, Trinity snorted, and the sound prompted Koga to fly into a rage.

"This isn't the fucking past, _Inuyasha_!" He roared. "She is in love with me now. _Me_. Not, you. Pound that into your thick fucking head before I have to physically do it for you!" Koga growled in warning, as his hands balled into fists and he flashed Yuu his canine teeth.

 _Inuyasha… Now…?_ Yuu repeated to himself, as he tried to make sense of Koga's confusing speech.

"Did you just call me a… dog demon?" Yuu said angrily, as he translated the meaning of the Japanese words 'Inu' and 'Yasha'. "What do you mean that she's in love with you _now_?" He repeated. "When was she ever in love with me before? I just met her you, moron!" He shouted, as his hands also clenched into fists.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Kagome yelled out from the doorway, as she stormed into the room and glared at Koga.

"You should ask your lackey." Yuu said, angrily. "He appears to have more than a few screws loose."

"Fang, outside. Now!" Kagome hissed, as she pointed to the door.

Koga forcibly pulled his gaze away from Yuu's and turned quickly, his head held high, as he marched out the door and into the main entranceway with Kagome right on his heels.

"What the fuck do you think you're saying?" Kagome spat as Koga turned around to face her. "That is _not_ Inuyasha!" She continued, in a shrill whisper.

Koga growled and began to massage his temples. "I know that."

"I don't really think you do." Kagome responded, quickly. "I know he looks like him, but that's _not_ him. That's his fucking nephew."

"I fucking know that!" Koga said, angrily.

 _This day has been the day from hell._ Kagome grumbled to herself, as she prayed for patience.

"Then can you explain what's gotten into you?"

"He wants you." He spat. "I don't care what his name is, he wants you."

"According to you, everyone does." Kagome said, angrily.

"That's because everyone usually _does_." Koga said quickly, as he crossed his arms against his chest and glared at her.

"Mei wants _you_ , you don't see me goading her, do you?"

"No, but I _did_ see you break her nose." Koga retorted.

"That was different."

"Why, because it was _you_?" He pushed, as he studied her.

"No, it was because she threatened you. You didn't happen to catch that before you hauled me off to the car, did you?"

Koga sucked his teeth. "I did."

"Look, none of this matters. I need you to promise me that you will keep your temper in check with Yuu. That includes spewing nonsense about Inuyasha. The Ishii siblings do not know anything about their ancestors and we need to keep it that way. Do you understand?"

"Yea." Koga bit out. "But if he tries anything with you, I can't promise I won't kill him."

"You will do no such thing. You will control yourself, just like I have to control myself with Mei. You are an elite agent, Fang. I trust that, no matter what, you will act like one." She said in a barely audible whisper, before she turned around and reentered the surveillance room.

* * *

"So then she tells me that I'm being an insensitive jerk!" Cover said angrily, as he slammed his fist on Frisk's desk. "Can you believe that shit?"

"Nope." Frisk mumbled, as he typed away at his laptop.

He was currently reading over R.O.O.T's latest intelligence on The Order while the Reconnaissance department's Beta team leader, Cover, complained to him about his relationship problems.

 _This psycho religious group has killed another twelve gifted victims since last week._ Frisk thought angrily to himself.

"Are you even listening to me?" Cover said, his voice heavily laced with aggravation.

"Of course I am. What kind of Employee Morale Ambassador would I be if I didn't listen?" Frisk said, quickly. "I love hearing about your personal problems."

Cover sighed, as he looked at his watch. "Whatever. It was a mistake coming here."

"Don't say that. I love it when you visit me, Cover. It makes me feel better about my own problems."

"Every time I come here, I leave feeling even worse." Cover admitted. "But anyway, I gotta run. I'm headed out on a mission in twenty minutes."

"Anything interesting?" Frisk muttered, as he began to look up information on the latest round of victims.

"My team is going after The Order. R.O.O.T finally got a lead on them." He said, as he rose from his chair.

"You're kidding?!" Frisk replied, as he immediately came alive and finally looked up from his computer. "Where?"

"Tokyo. Two members of The Order have allegedly been showing up at a place called the Higurashi shrine and have been harassing its young owner. They've apparently been attempting to recruit him." Cover said over his shoulder, as he made his way to the door. "Inspect is assigning my group to go in and capture them."

 _The Higurashi shrine?_ Frisk's mind echoed in question.

"Good Luck." Frisk called out before he got up and shut his door, angering the woman who was standing next in line outside of it.

 _Where have I heard that name before?_ Frisk thought, frantically.

He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly anxious.

 _Think, Frisk. Why are you so familiar with that name?_ He mused, as he searched through his vast wealth of memories.

Several minutes passed before an image of Wraith flashed into his mind.

 _"No, I am not a demon… My name is, or it was, rather, Kagome Higurashi. We hunted Naraku together. I was a miko traveling in a group with Inuyasha… You kidnapped me once… You picked flowers for me once, too. It was very sweet… So, what became of you, Koga?"_

Frisk flinched as parts of the scene replayed in his mind, immediately realizing that this memory was not his own.

This was one of Fang's memories. The memory of when he first reunited with Wraith.

 _She was a priestess named Kagome Higurashi._ He repeated. _And Cover is going to a Higurashi shine in Tokyo._

 _"Tokyo is home."_

She had said that on the way to the airport. She had said that Tokyo had been home.

 _Is The Order after Wraith's family?_ He thought, worriedly.

* * *

"If you're done disciplining your subordinate, I can show everyone to their rooms." Yuu said, the moment Kagome returned to the surveillance room.

"Thanks." Kagome said, warily.

Yuu nodded to her and took off from the room. He quickly ascended the grand staircase in the main entranceway, with Kagome's group struggling to grab their luggage and keep up behind him.

"Trinity, you are the first door on the right." Yuu said quickly, as he walked down a long hallway.

Trinity nodded and entered the door, presumably to drop off his luggage.

"Mei, you are the next door on the right."

Mei said nothing and continued walking.

"Fang, you are the door after Mei's."

Koga sighed and he and Kagome turned off to the assigned room.

"Wraith, you're actually across the hall." Yuu said over his shoulder, never once halting his stride.

"We're together you, idiot!" Koga shouted back at him. "She's sleeping with me."

At this both Yuu and Mei simultaneously halted and turned around to look at them.

"You'd be better able to protect us and cover more distance within this house if you were separated." Mei advised in a low voice, as her eyes sparkled with delight. "Our protection is paramount."

"Not happening." Kagome grumbled.

"I respect that you both would like to stay together, but you must see the logic in keeping everyone apart. The three of you would cover this area better if you were dispersed around our sleeping quarters." Yuu said calmly, as he forced his face to become impassive. "You'll only be a few feet across the hall from Fang, Wraith."

Kagome froze as she thought about this.

"No." Koga whispered under his breath to her. "Say, no."

"It makes sense. This is how we would handle it any other time." She admitted, as she suspiciously studied Mei.

"If it makes you feel any better. I won't even be sleeping in my own room. I'll instead be taking the second guest room on the left, right across from Mei. This way we will all be in close proximity to one another." Yuu pushed.

 _The room across from Mei is the one right next to Kagome's._ Koga realized.

"Of course you would put yourself right next to Wraith." Koga said lowly.

"Of course he _should_. She is your leader, so therefore she is the strongest, is she not?" Mei said quickly. "Additionally, you will be busy watching over us throughout the night, won't you? Why does it concern you where you sleep?" She chided.

"She makes a point, Fang. It really doesn't matter." Kagome said.

Yuu smiled widely as Kagome acquiesced.

"It's settled then. Go, get yourselves situated and meet us back downstairs in an hour for dinner." Yuu said quickly, as he took off further down the hall, with his sister jumping in line behind him.

"What is wrong with you?!" Koga immediately started, the moment the siblings got out of sight.

"It makes sense, they'll both be located between the three of us. Also, we are all going to be rotating the night shifts. So, I don't see what the problem is."

"I don't trust them." Koga spat.

"I don't either, but I can't argue with the logic."

Koga huffed as he entered his room and began to look around. As he did so, Kagome broke away and entered hers.

Her bedroom was large and had a sitting area and its own bathroom.

Kagome left her suitcase by the door and went to investigate. She didn't miss the fact that the bathroom had a door on the far side of the wall, connecting it to what would be Yuu's room.

 _A shared bathroom, huh?_ She thought, shaking her head. _We have a direct entrance into each other's rooms. I honestly expected you to be craftier, Yuu._

Kagome immediately left her room and crossed over to Koga's, suitcase in hand. Once there she went directly into his bathroom and noticed that there was also a secondary door within.

 _And this door connects to Mei's room._ She thought to herself before returning to Koga's bedroom and jumping on his bed.

Koga was about to start putting his clothing into drawers before Kagome distracted him. "Switch rooms with me." She said, mischievously.

"Why?"

"We are both sharing bathrooms with them. They have an access point into our rooms." She whispered.

Koga immediately walked over to the bathroom to investigate.

"I'll be damned."

Kagome giggled. "It shouldn't matter what rooms we have, they said so themselves. So, there should be no problem whatsoever if we change the order without telling them."

Koga smirked. "What a bunch of idiots." He spat, as he quickly closed his suitcase and hurried across the hall.

Kagome closed the door to her new room and scrambled to put her things away. Once she was done, she snuck across the hall to visit Koga.

He appeared to have just finished unpacking as well.

"I'm glad you noticed that. Who knows what that pervert may have done if you didn't." He said, as he walked over to Kagome and took her into his arms.

"I'm more concerned with Mei than I am with Yuu. I wouldn't put sneaking into bed with you passed her." She said, angrily. "At least Yuu doesn't seem like the type to desperately degrade himself in such a way."

"He's a man, Kagome. He'll degrade himself as much as it takes if thinks he has a shot at you." Koga warned, as he pulled the collar of her sweater back to check on her bite.

"How does it look?" She asked him gently, closing her eyes as Koga traced his fingers over it.

"The same. It takes a few days for amoxicillin to start working doesn't it?"

"Yea, it takes about seventy two hours to build up in my blood."

"Come with me." He said softly, as he reached for the peroxide that Kagome had stuffed into his bag and pulled her into the bathroom.

Koga then began to treat her wound. Tenderly tapping the disinfectant over the mark and cleaning it up.

"I'm really sorry about this." He mumbled, as he studied her. "I don't know what came over me in the first place."

"Don't worry about it. We were both lost within each other at the time. Neither of us was thinking clearly."

Koga slowly bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"What did I taste like?" She mumbled, as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Your blood?" He asked, curiously. "Your blood tasted like blood." He said, as he chuckled.

"Nothing special then?" She said, giggling.

"It's only special because I know it's yours. It doesn't taste any different from anything else's."

"Do you miss eating humans?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"What? No?" Koga said, quickly. "From what I remember, they were the worst tasting meat available. They were never really suitable for eating anyway." He continued. "I'm glad my people stopped."

"They only stopped because you ordered them to." Kagome thought out loud. "I'm sure you could have solved the starvation problem for a time if you had put humans back on the menu. Why didn't you?"

"That might have worked for a time, yes. But, that wouldn't have been a long term solution."

"Why did you stop eating humans in the first place?" Kagome asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't remember." Koga said, honestly. "I was always really strict about it with the tribe too. I probably got sick one day and just ruled them out or something."

Kagome laughed. "It couldn't have had anything to do with meeting me, could it?" Kagome prodded. "At that time, you were really trying to impress me."

Koga paused lost in memory. "Maybe." He said. "And what do you mean 'at the time'? I never stopped trying to impress you." He admitted, as he leaned down and took her lips with his.

"You got to enjoy a five hundred year break." Kagome giggled, as she broke the kiss and began to trail kisses across his jaw.

"A four hundred and ninety eight year break, really. I did spend two years looking for you." He said softly, as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the tingles that she was working into his skin.

"Before you gave up on searching for me." She said absentmindedly, as she began to run her hands down his chest.

 _But Inuyasha never did._ Koga's thoughts whispered.

Koga growled and took Kagome's wrists in his hands, halting their loving ministrations.

"There was no trace of you." He said, angrily. "I looked everywhere. My tribe looked everywhere. Ayame's tribe looked everywhere. You weren't there, Kagome. What was I supposed to do, idiotically devote the rest of my life to chasing a ghost?!"

 _Like your beloved Inuyasha did for two hundred and fifty years, wasting his entire life away?_ Koga's mind whispered.

Kagome's eyes widened and she took a step backwards.

"What's gotten into you? I didn't mean it like that. I never would have expected you to do such a thing. I wasn't there to be found." She said shakily, as she tried to understand Koga's abrupt change in mood.

 _Inuyasha truly loved you._ Koga thought to himself, as he looked over his mate. _He never once stopped looking for you._

Koga grimaced at the thought. He was starting to become furious with how often thoughts of the hanyou have been invading his mind as of late.

"I really didn't mean it in the way that you're thinking, Koga. I'm sorry. I would have done the same…" Kagome continued, as she stared into Koga's eyes.

However, her words did not reach him. Instead, as Kagome spoke, her words were replaced by the ones she had spoken at dinner the night before.

 _"I begged him not to change, and I told him that I loved him just the way he was… as a half demon… I stepped forward and I kissed him with everything that I had… and it worked… the mirror broke from the sheer force of Inuyasha's overwhelming desire to always remain at my side."_

 _Inuyasha truly would have given anything for her._ His mind whispered, before Hakkaku's words tumbled forth into his consciousness.

 _"If they were meant to be together, then fate would have found a way. She would have either been able to stay in the Feudal Era or he would have been reincarnated in this time, just for her."_

These words immediately set Koga off.

"When you went to the other side, Inuyasha was there. You're sure of that?" Koga rambled, completely cutting Kagome off as his bonding scent flooded the room.

"Huh?"

"The other side was real? It wasn't just a hallucination, right? You swear that you saw Inuyasha there, right?" He said nervously, as he released the hold he had on her hands and instead gripped her arms, pulling her toward him.

"Of course it was real. Yes, he was there."

Koga sighed and closed his eyes. _If she saw Inuyasha's soul months ago, then he couldn't possibly have been reincarnated into Yuu. Yuu was born twenty eight years ago._

"Baby, do you want to tell me what is going on?" Kagome said worriedly, as she desperately tried to read his face. "I need you to talk to me."

Koga hesitantly opened his eyes and tried to lose himself within Kagome's worried brown ones.

"Koga? What's going on?" Kagome pushed, as he looked wistfully at her.

"Just tell me that you love me." He said, sadly.

"I love you, Koga. You are my everything."

Koga released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Tell me that no one could ever come between us." He said seriously, as he held her eyes.

"No one could ever come between us." She repeated. "Now, can you please tell me what's going on with you?"

"It's nothing." Koga said, hesitantly. "I just got nervous for a second."

"Geez. And you say I hide things from you."

Koga pulled Kagome to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I thought for a second that Yuu might be a reincarnation of Inuyasha."

Kagome fought the urge to laugh.

"He's not, baby. He may look like Inuyasha, but his soul is different." She said, seriously. "Even if he was a reincarnation, you would have nothing to worry about. I love you, Koga. It will always be you." She said softly, as she began to rub soothing circles into his back.

* * *

"Do you really think that they'll switch rooms?" Yuu whispered, as he and Mei quickly made their way to the dining room.

"They will." Mei said confidently, as she played out a secret scenario in her head again. "They both see each of us as a personal threat. They will immediately change rooms if they think that we have access to their partner."

"What is the point of this anyway? What are you planning?" Yuu asked, curiously.

"Patience, dear brother." She quipped, as she took a seat at the dining room table.

"I'll go check with the chef. I'll be right back." Yuu mumbled, as he set off towards the kitchen.

As Yuu left, Mei walked through her plan. The moment that the bitch in charge set off for guard duty, Mei would immediately infiltrate her room and go through her belongings.

 _She might have something that could point to her identity._ Mei thought to herself. _Or something that I could use against her._

If Mei had originally assigned Wraith to the room alongside of hers, the woman would have become immediately suspicious. However, by placing Fang in the room next to hers, Wraith would, if she was smart, immediately switch rooms with him. Therefore, she would fall into a false sense of security as she would believe that her new location was a product her own decision making.

Proud of herself, Mei sat back and allowed herself to smile. _This should be most interesting._

"You seem to be in a good mood." Trinity's low voice called over to her, as he approached the table.

Mei rolled her eyes and turned to him.

From the scent of him, Trinity had apparently freshened up. Mei noticed that he was now wearing black tactical pants, combat boots and a heavy, long, black trench coat. He had what looked to be, a silver reverse choke collar around his neck. He was wearing thick silver rings on each of his fingers and also had his trademark sunglasses on. The lenses looked to be completely opaque and Mei struggled to see his eyes behind them.

Mei blinked a few times as she studied him. The man, to anyone else, would appear absolutely threatening.

"Are you cold?" She asked him indifferently, as she studied his jacket.

"No. Why?" He answered, as he took a seat next to her at the table.

Mei stared at him, hoping the man wasn't a complete idiot.

He said nothing.

"Why are you wearing a jacket?" She supplied.

"It's part of my armor." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It holds my weapons."

For some reason Mei wanted to see what was under it.

"Take it off. Wearing it at the table is rude." She said, quickly.

"No."

"Pretty please?" She said, in a soft voice.

She internally smiled when Trinity sighed and began to unbutton his jacket.

 _Men are the easiest creatures to manipulate._ She thought, smugly.

Trinity made quick work of removing his jacket and threw it over the chair next to him. The jacket landed with a heavy thud and depressed the seat cushion of the chair.

 _What the hell does he have in that thing?_ Mei wondered, before she pulled her eyes away from the chair and over to Trinity.

Trinity was wearing a black vest that was overlaid with a layer of Teflon armor. His muscled arms appeared through each of the nonexistent sleeves. He had two handguns at his sides and, what looked to be, a large machete strapped to his back. His pockets were littered with multiple clips and ammo.

"Now you look like a soldier." Mei said in approval while she studied him.

"You approve of my outfit? I take that to be one of the highest of compliments." He said, honestly.

For some reason Mei found this to be amusing and she lifted her eyebrow, silently requesting that he elaborate.

"You have good taste." He offered.

"Too bad that you do _not_. Your accessories are ridiculous." She said quickly as she studied his choker and his rings, before her gaze fell down to the silver bullet that he wore on a necklace over the choker.

Trinity laughed. "They're not accessories. They're weapons."

"They are weapons against anyone who was born with any decent taste." Mei responded.

Trinity smiled at her and held out his hand, making a fist. Mei immediately followed the movement with her eyes.

She was about to look away before Trinity's hand was bathed in a strong white light. As her eyes widened, she witnessed the light that surrounded his hands lengthen down his fist and become, what looked to be, a blade. When Trinity was done, it appeared as though he was fisting a dagger made of light.

In another moment his hand flashed and the light disappeared.

Before Mei could ask him if he accepted requests to perform at children's parties, she was treated to the sight of Wraith and Fang entering the room.

They too, were dressed like Trinity, sans the leather jacket. Both had numerous weapons adoring their person.

Wraith surprised her by walking right over to her and staring at her face.

"You look a million times better." She said, softly. "All the swelling went away. I'm glad."

Mei was about to yell at her when she noticed the obvious stench that was emanating from the woman and wafting over to her.

"You smell like cat piss and spoiled milk!" She spat, as she cupped her nose with her hand and hurriedly turned her head.

As her nose healed, her sense of smell had been slowly returning to her. At this moment, Mei truly wished that it hadn't returned at all.

"I'm _not_ sorry I hit you." Wraith said angrily, as she stomped away from her.

Mei immediately jumped out of her seat and flew to the windows, opening several of them.

"You truly _are_ poor aren't you? The homeless on the streets of New York City smell more appealing than you do. How horrific!" Mei continued, truly horrified. "Bathe yourself!"

 _I always apply my bonding scent right after I bathe. I get that the smell is the strongest right after I do so, but I've never had such an over the top female reaction to it before._ Kagome thought to herself.

"I just took a shower!" Kagome shouted in her defense.

"Then you were obviously doing something wrong while you were in there!" Mei shouted back.

 _Cat piss and spoiled milk._ The words echoed in Kagome's thoughts.

Women had told her that her bonding scent stunk, but none have ever attempted to describe it before.

 _Do women really smell cat piss and spoiled milk when they are around me? That's absolutely horrible!_ Her mind screamed. _No one wanted to hurt my feelings._ She sadly realized.

She felt completely mortified at the revelation.

"You smell beautiful." Koga said seriously, as he approached Kagome and wrapped his arm around her waist while he scowled at Mei. "Don't let anyone tell you differently."

From his seat, Trinity leaned over and sniffed the air near Kagome.

"You smell nice." He said honestly, before he turned his attention over to Mei. "Maybe your injury has somehow affected your sense of smell?"

"Have you all gone insane?" Mei retorted, as she studied the group.

"Dinner will be served in a few minutes." Yuu called out, as he returned to the dining room.

He took a moment to study his guest's state of dress before he absentmindedly sniffed the air, his posture relaxing and his eyelids falling to half mast as he did so.

As if following his nose, he slowly began to walk over to Kagome. Before he could close in on her, he was stopped by a strong hand pressed into his chest.

"No." Koga said angrily. "Don't you dare." He said, as he studied him.

Yuu seemed to be confused for a moment before he shook his head and got with the program. "Don't I dare, what? What the hell are you even thinking?" He said angrily, as he took a seat and frowned in Koga's direction, as if daring him to do something.


	16. Chapter 16

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 16

"So Yuu, please tell us about your work." Kagome said sweetly, as she attempted to break up the glaring match that he was having with Koga over dinner.

Koga had purposefully decided to sit right across from Yuu.

"I work in energy." He bit out, his narrowed eyes never leaving Koga's.

Kagome sighed. "What does that mean?"

"My job, Wraith, is to identify opportunities to incorporate clean, or green, energy within Tsuki Industries' numerous companies. My company prides itself in its ability to be cutting edge _and_ protective of the world we live in." He spat, as he continued to scowl into Koga's face.

 _For Christ's sakes. These two just won't quit._ Kagome thought exasperatedly to herself.

"That sounds completely boring." Koga instigated, as he smirked. "Did your dad get you that job or something?" He said, now openly laughing.

"No, he didn't, asshole. I'm a fucking engineer. I have double doctorate degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering from M.I.T. My job was earned, not handed to me." He said angrily, in a scratchy and raised voice. "What you consider to be boring is actually pretty fucking important, unless you want to live on a poisoned planet that's slowly dying."

Koga was about to argue but was quickly interrupted by Trinity.

"Two doctorate degrees from M.I.T?" Trinity sputtered. "You're a fucking genius!" He said, completely awestruck.

"What the hell is M.I.T?" Koga whispered to Kagome, as he finally tore his eyes away from Yuu.

Kagome quickly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Keh. You really are as stupid as you look. How the hell have you not heard of M.I.T?" Yuu chided.

 _He has advanced hearing, too._ Kagome thought to herself.

"M.I.T is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fang. It is the top applied science and engineering school in the U.S." Trinity supplied.

"I'm so proud of you." Kagome said softly, as she studied Yuu's face.

Yuu was immediately thrown off by the compliment and began to study his food intently while his cheeks slightly heated.

After hearing Kagome's heartfelt praise and seeing Yuu's immediate physical reaction to it, Koga began to growl lowly under his breath.

"Do you think that you are a dog?" Mei asked incredulously, as she studied Koga from behind the large napkin that she had pressed over her nose.

She was apparently trying to block Wraith's stench from infiltrating her nostrils. Somehow she was able to make the stupid action look absolutely graceful and elegant.

Koga responded by throwing her a dirty look.

"No, not a dog." Yuu said quickly, as he studied Koga. "A wolf." He said harshly, as his eyes bored into Koga's.

"What the hell makes you say that?" Kagome asked, nervously.

Yuu tapped his nose. "He smells like one."

"Mmmm. He acts like one, too." Mei whispered, apparently fascinated.

"A wild animal." Yuu continued, his eyes never halting in their assessment of Koga.

"That would explain those sexy teeth of his." Mei said, in a low and seductive voice. "Are they implants?" She asked, curiously.

Kagome immediately frowned at her.

"Those teeth are covered in bacteria!" Trinity happily interjected. "I can assure you that there's nothing sexy about them, Mei."

"Trinity would you shut up? Whose side are you on?" Koga spat, as he threw a dirty look over in his direction.

Trinity ignored him.

"Enough about Fang. Let's talk about you, Mei. Tell us about yourself. What are your interests? What drives you?" Trinity asked softly, to the woman on his left.

"I'm an actress." She said nonchalantly, through her napkin.

"Have you been in anything that any of us would recognize?" Trinity prodded.

"Yea, right. Mei's an actress, alright. She's never had one call back from any of her auditions." Yuu informed them.

He was rewarded by a venomous scowl in his direction.

"It's true. The sad part is that it has nothing to do with your talent, or lack thereof. No one wants to deal with you Mei, not even your agent."

"That's not true." Mei growled.

"It _is_ true. Your agent has you running around on all these stupid assignments just to keep you busy so that she doesn't have to deal with you."

"Stupid assignments?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"Yea. _Stupid_ assignments." Yuu stressed. "Last month she was instructed to practice grieving skills. As a result, she would go and hang out at the Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine every day so that she could study the people that were there to make offerings for their dead loved ones."

At this Mei began to laugh, interrupting him.

"And she seemed to think such a thing was really funny then, too. It only took a week for the shrine to ban her from returning." Yuu finished.

Kagome's mouth dropped. "That's horrible."

"It is. The Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine is only five minutes from here. Now, I have to go elsewhere and it is much more inconvenient." Mei said, honestly.

"That's _not_ what's horrible!" Kagome spat. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think that the loss of a loved one is funny?"

"I find the idiotic faces that people in mourning make to be most funny." She responded.

"You're sick." Koga growled.

"She's not sick, she's just lost!" Trinity shouted angrily, surprising himself.

His outburst was rewarded with the stupefied expressions of all those surrounding him at the table.

 _Fuck. Trinity's into her._ Koga suddenly realized, in utter disbelief.

"Your talent agent had the right idea. You can't project sadness and sorrow if you've never once experienced it. She was probably hoping that by exposing your to other people's pain, she could somehow get you to sympathize with it and understand it."

Mei raised a curious eyebrow in Trinity's direction.

"Are you also an acting coach?" She asked, as her eyes lit up in obvious interest.

Trinity shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm just a… soldier that wants to help people." He said, in a low and soothing voice.

"That's unfortunate." She muttered, as she returned her attention back on her food.

 _What the hell was all that about?_ Kagome wondered to herself, as her gaze shifted back and forth between Trinity and Mei.

"Ok?" Yuu mumbled to himself, also seemingly confused by the exchange.

A moment passed before he spoke again, this time focusing his attention on Kagome.

"What made you want to become a solider?" He asked, curiously.

"I wanted to help people." Kagome answered, honestly.

"How did you become so strong?" Mei asked, quickly. "Were you in active service?"

"Yes." Kagome answered, considering her service in her organization to be similar to the military service that Mei was referencing. "But that's not what made me strong." She corrected. "I am strong because I have precious people in this world that I want to protect."

"Anyone that depends on another for protection deserves to die." Mei retorted.

Yuu snorted. "Read the situation sister. You are under this woman's protection right now."

"Not by choice." Mei said, aloofly. "I don't _need_ anyone's protection."

"Do you have anyone that's precious to you, Mei?" Koga said angrily, tiring of the woman's decrepit view of the world.

Mei's eyes darted over to her brother for a moment without her permission.

"No."

"Then you will always be weak." Kagome said, knowingly.

* * *

"God! Give it up already!" Sota shouted angrily, as he approached his front door.

Inuyasha was going crazy outside. The big white dog was running the property while barking and growling.

Sota had listened to Kagome. The moment she left, he went right inside and called the police. The officers that came to the shrine to take his statement had bought one of their rehabilitated wolves with them and the animal had set Inuyasha into a rage. Sota had to chain the big white dog up just so that he could have a few uninterrupted minutes to sit down with the officers and go through his complaint. The moment the officers left, Inuyasha went wild, marking the entire property with his scent.

 _That had been hours ago._ Sota thought to himself, as he angrily went outside to retrieve his _sister's_ dog.

As he exited the home, he began to whistle loudly, hoping to quickly bring the large animal in.

The sound got Inuyasha's attention. However the dog didn't pay it more than a moment's worth of mind before it began running around again.

"Inuyasha! Come here!" Sota shouted, praying that he didn't have to chase the dog down and drag him inside.

Several minutes passed before Sota cursed and set off to grab him.

He found Inuyasha standing in front of a large tree, looking skywards while growling.

"Leave the raccoons alone." Sota commanded, as he grabbed the animal's collar and began to drag him towards the house.

Inuyasha snapped at his hand.

 _What the fuck?_ Sota thought, as a tingle of warning made its way up his spine.

Sota froze.

 _Something is wrong._ His mind warned.

"Come on boy. Let's go inside." Sota whispered, as he began to back away, his gaze lifting skywards as he tried to make out what Inuyasha was staring at in the tree.

He felt as though something, or someone, was staring back at him.

Sota began to take hurried steps backwards.

"Inuyasha. Come. _Now!_ " He roared, feeling somewhat relieved when the dog actually listened and began to charge to his side.

Both Sota and the dog ran back to the house at top speed. Once both were inside, Sota hurriedly locked the door behind them and looked out the window.

 _Something was up there._ His mind screamed. _I know something was up there._

Sota wanted to check on his mother, who was watching T.V. in the living room, but he didn't want to pull his eyes away from the window, fearing that he may miss something if he did.

Instead, he turned the lights off and sat in the dark, staring out the window.

* * *

"I was almost made." Agent Camo whispered into his radio. "No one said anything about there being a dog." He grumbled, from his place on the branch of the tree that he was currently occupying.

"Were you seen?" Cover's voice replied.

"The dog knows that I'm here. The owner seemed to sense my presence as well." Camo said quickly, as he shifted his position. As he did so, his body instantly adjusted to match the shadows and the colors of the tree he was leaning up against.

"Stay put and keep your camouflage up. You have the best vantage point from where you currently are." Cover instructed.

"Roger."

* * *

Kagome yawned as she studied the monitors. So far there had been no activity.

After dinner, Mei and Yuu retired to their rooms and Kagome and Trinity took the first shift. Kagome watched the monitors from the security room while Trinity patrolled the house. Koga was currently in bed getting some sleep.

In another ten minutes Koga would be coming downstairs to replace Trinity's patrol and Trinity would replace her place at the monitors. It would then be her turn to go bed for a few hours before she would relieve Koga and the team would once again rotate.

"How's it going?" Came a concerned voice behind her.

Kagome didn't take her eyes off of the screens.

"Nothing so far. Shouldn't you be sleeping, Yuu?" She asked, over her shoulder.

"I came down to get a glass of water. Since I was up, I figured I'd check on you."

Kagome nodded. "Everything is okay."

"Do you really think they'll come back for her?" Yuu asked, hesitantly, his voice becoming slightly worried.

Kagome sighed. "Yes. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I really do."

"Why are they after Mei? I mean, I know that they're targeting the gifted and all, but how did she manage to get onto their radar? It's not like we advertise our powers." He wondered to himself.

"We're not sure how they pick their victims." Kagome admitted.

A few moments of silence passed and Kagome could feel Yuu staring at her back.

"You should get back to bed now." She said softly, dismissing him.

She was not prepared for the words that tumbled forth from his mouth in response.

"Who is… Inuyasha?"

Kagome immediately spun around, tearing her eyes away from their study of the many monitors so that she could face him.

Yuu was in a simple T-shirt and pajama pants and his golden eyes were seriously studying her, waiting for a response.

 _God damn it, Koga! You see what you did?_ Her mind hissed.

"He was a friend of mine." Kagome said, quickly. "Now go back to bed."

"A fellow soldier?"

"Yes."

"Do I look like him or something?"

Kagome hesitated before responding. "Yes, actually."

Yuu seemed to form a few conclusions in his head with this information.

"Did he die?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Why would you ask me that?" Kagome stammered.

Yuu sucked his teeth as he picked up on the change in Kagome's voice. "He did die, didn't he? I am so sorry." He said honestly, as he approached her. "I remind you and Fang of him, don't I?"

Kagome didn't answer; she instead diverted her eyes and stared at the floor.

"You miss him."

"I…"

"I can tell by the way you look at me." Yuu whispered, as his hand rose and cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "Your eyes get so sad whenever you do." He continued, as his eyes now held hers.

"Yuu…"

"Fang said that you loved him." Yuu mumbled, as his gaze dropped to her mouth.

"I… thought I did."

"He loved you." Yuu whispered, without hesitation.

"What?!"

"Whoever he was, he'd be crazy not to be head over heels for you. I know I would be if I were him."

Kagome began to back away.

"You should go. _Now_." Kagome ordered, as her heart slammed in her chest.

For some reason, the things that Yuu was saying felt like some sort of message from beyond the grave.

Yuu gently dropped his hand from its place on her cheek and humbly turned to leave. He only managed to take one step before he lowered his gaze over to her exposed arm.

He said nothing, but he immediately trailed his fingers over the almost invisible scars that he saw there and his face looked sad as he did so.

After one quick sweep of his hand over her skin, he continued in his walk to exit the room.

 _What the fuck was that all about?!_ Kagome thought, as she tried to quell the panic that was threatening to overtake her mind. _Why would he say all of those things? Why would he touch my scars?_

"Wraith?"

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when Trinity came into the surveillance room.

"Are you alright?" Trinity asked, as he studied her.

"Yea." She said shakily. "I'm okay."

After a moment Trinity nodded and took his position in front of the monitors to begin his watch.

* * *

Kagome shakily made her way upstairs and to her room. Before she made to open her door, she checked the floor for signs of the hairpin that she had placed between the latch and the doorframe.

She breathed a sigh of relief to see that it was still in place.

When she entered the room, she quickly set off to check out the bathroom door that she had barred with her room's sofa.

She leaned over the sofa to check for the hairpin that she had also placed on top of the latch on this door.

It was gone.

She scanned the floor and found it quickly.

 _Mei had tried to get in here._ She realized, championing herself for having the sense to plant traps.

If anyone turned the knob, it would release the hairpin that was sitting on top of the latch, signaling that someone had tried to get into the room.

 _She must have been pissed when she realized I barred the door._ Kagome thought happily to herself, as she removed her weapons and armor and dove into bed.

* * *

A shadowed figure shakily made his way through the dark within the home of his assigned target. This was his very first time participating in a capture and he was nervous. The woman he was after had managed to kill his predecessor, and therefore, temporarily evade her desired redemption. But tonight was his chance to make his mentor proud and save the woman's tainted soul. Once he had her, he would take her to their congregation and finally witness the makings of the Absolution Ceremony that he had heard so much about.

 _I hope you are watching me tonight, brother. I will continue your work in your stead._ The man thought to himself, as he thoroughly investigated the house.

 _Where is she?_ He wondered to himself, as he made another full sweep of the house.

After his final walk through, he felt himself become dejected. He took out his cell phone and quickly dialed his new partner, Tenshi.

"She's not home." He said quickly, the moment she answered. "But her car is in the driveway."

"You are sure that she is not hiding in the house?"

"I am. There are no signs of life within these walls." He answered.

"You've done well tonight, Kondo. Do not despair. We will find her. She managed to temporarily get away. We can assume that she is frightened and might be staying elsewhere." Tenshi said, sympathetically. "Come back to the car."

Kondo took a deep breath and exited through the window he had broke into. As he stealthily made his way across the property and towards his partner's vehicle, he chanced a glance across the street. He stared at the house until he took his place in the passenger seat of Tenshi's car.

"If she is frightened, she is most likely with her brother." Kondo said, thoughtfully.

Tenshi studied his face before she followed his gaze to the house across the street.

"It would make sense. We will come back tomorrow during the day to confirm this suspicion." She said, sweetly. "She can't hide from her salvation forever."

Kondo beamed. "I will continue to pray for her soul until she is found."

Tenshi nodded before she put the car in gear and took off into the night.

* * *

 _This house is huge._ Koga thought to himself, as he patrolled the wide expanse of the second floor in the dark.

He was having fun snooping around as he did so. So far he had found dated pictures of Yuu and Mei's parents along the walls. He quickly noted that their father shared their golden eyes and black hair. In one picture, the man looked happy as he held his then two small children in his lap while his blonde wife leaned over him, smiling over his shoulder at the camera.

 _Their father is Sesshomaru's third generation grandson._ Koga realized.

 _Sesshomaru is Yuu's dad's great, great, great grandfather_. He mused. _Too bad nothing about Sesshomaru is actually great at all._ He thought, as he snickered to himself, making his way into an open room that served as a study.

 _This must be where Yuu works when he is home._ Koga realized as he studied the computer along with the mountains of schematics and blueprints that littered the desk. He also noted the many degrees that covered the walls.

Koga immediately went to look at them.

 _They're either marked with the words summa cum laude or alpha cum laude._ Koga noticed, as he gave the word 'Alpha' his full attention.

 _If there were a degree just for being an Alpha, I'd have a thousand of them._ He thought smugly, making a note to ask Kagome what the phrases meant when they were alone together later.

 _You think you're so smart with all of your fancy education, don't you? But, you're still the world's biggest idiot as far as I'm concerned, In-Yuu-Yasha._ His mind grumbled, as he quickly exited the room and bumped into a partially clad Mei.

"Watch where you're going!" She spat.

Koga looked her over for only a moment before he forcibly tore his eyes away. She was wearing an almost transparent pink teddy. Over the lingerie, she was wearing a lace robe. If it could even be considered a robe as the fabric barely covered her ass.

 _Who wears this shit while wandering around their brother's house in the middle of the night?!_ Koga's mind screamed, as he struggled to get the sight of her flesh out of his mind. _Mei could have been a Victoria's Secret model if she wanted to be._ He thought to himself.

Koga randomly wondered if that was where she got the outfit.

"Go back to bed!" He hissed, as he attempted to keep his voice down to a whisper.

"I don't take orders from you." She retorted, as she studied him.

 _She obviously has no problem running around naked. She's not even trying to cover herself up right now._ His mind grumbled, as he put all of his effort into focusing his eyes somewhere behind her.

He nearly jumped when he felt her hand on his mouth.

"What are you… mfkkf!"

Mei halted his speech by pushing his lip upwards with her thumb. When his right canine tooth came into view, she rubbed her finger down the length of it. Once she finished, she smiled to herself before promptly turning and heading off down the hall.

 _What the hell?!_ Koga's mind sputtered, as he ran his tongue over his affronted tooth.

He felt violated in some way.

 _What the hell did I used to see in women like that?_ Koga thought to himself, as he took off in the opposite direction down the long hallway.

* * *

Sota looked upon the pink rays of the dawn as the sun signaled the start of the new day.

He had gotten no sleep. Instead he had taken up a lookout in his kitchen, warily staring out the window.

Inuyasha had slept well. The big dumb dog seemed completely unperturbed ever since Sota had brought him inside for the night.

 _Maybe it was all in my head._ Sota grumbled to himself as he abandoned his kitchen lookout. _Kagome freaked me out and then Inuyasha's behavior set off my paranoia._

"I'm glad _you_ got some sleep." He mumbled, as he stepped over Inuyasha's sleeping form and entered the bathroom.

Sota quickly showered, dressed and went to share breakfast with his mother. He and his mom spent the time together making small talk and feeding Inuyasha treats under the table. Once his mother put on her coat, Sota placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and watched her as she set off to work.

The moment his mom's car took off down the street, Sota let Inuyasha out and exited his home. He headed over to the shrine's offering hall to open it for that day's visitors.

* * *

 _Six more days to go._ Koga thought to himself, as he mentally ticked off the time.

Although he was happy that there had been no incidents with The Order last night, he didn't know how long he was going to survive any more incidents with Mei in the middle of the night.

He was currently debating how he should even bring up her behavior with Kagome.

Koga smiled to himself.

His alpha female had already attacked Mei once over him. As he replayed her behavior in the restaurant the previous day in his head, he had to adjust himself to hide his hardening erection.

Kagome was always calm and in control, but that control fell to the wayside when she was protecting him, her mate. Her ferocity and protectiveness over him turned him on. Plus, he loved watching his warrior woman in action, it was just an added bonus if she was kicking some ass on his account.

Koga sighed as he took off after Yuu who had bolted from his bedroom with his laptop under his arm, mumbling to himself.

Yuu's trek took him to the living room that Kagome currently occupied with Mei. As he entered the room, Yuu plopped down on the couch next to Mei and began typing away while Mei busied herself with her cell phone.

"So this is where everyone is." Trinity said cheerfully, as he also entered the living room. "This is perfect, we're all together."

Koga rolled his eyes

 _He's only in here because Mei is here._ Koga thought to himself.

"Do you two plan on staying in here for some time?" Trinity asked, as he studied the Ishii siblings.

Both Mei and Yuu looked up at him quizzically, but said nothing before they dropped their gazes back down to their electronic devices.

"Great." He said to himself, unperturbed. "Wraith, let's focus on your training."

Koga watched as Kagome nodded while Trinity motioned for her to sit on the floor. Once she did so, he sat across from her.

"Fang you may want to go somewhere else." Trinity dismissively said over his shoulder.

Koga frowned and set off to monitor the security cameras.

Once Koga was out of sight, Trinity began to speak.

"Purification powers are gifts from the heavens above. Like heaven, they must be calm, serene and peaceful. They are holy powers." He started. "The person wielding them must emulate these characteristics while using them." He instructed, as he closed his eyes.

Kagome watched as a calm and glowing white light quickly encased Trinity. The glow seemed to pulse with his heartbeat and swirls of energy would gently coast over his body as if being kissed by the wind.

It was beautiful.

Kagome gently raised her hand and tapped Trinity's shoulder with her index finger. She was instantly rewarded with a peaceful warmth coasting into her body.

It felt like heaven.

 _This is how it felt when I touched the man at the morgue._ She thought to herself, as she withdrew her hand and placed it back onto her lap.

She noticed, as she looked over Trinity's shoulder, that both the Ishii siblings had abandoned their electronic devices and were now watching them.

"Wraith, I want you to call forth your purification powers. I am going to observe you." Trinity whispered.

Kagome pulled her eyes away from their study of Mei and Yuu and focused on Trinity's face. She quickly nodded in agreement and called forth her own powers.

Kagome's powers, as usual, came forth in a giant white blast. The bright white light came bursting forth with such power, and it rose so high, that it cascaded over the ceiling.

Apparently, Trinity had not been expecting this and he literarily fell backwards as he scrambled to get away from her.

"What the fuck?" He stammered, before he forcibly regained his composure.

Kagome stared at him while her body was encased in the glowing, bright light. The energy bursting forth was so forceful, that it blew her long hair skywards.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kagome asked, innocently.

"No…" Trinity sputtered. "But, Christ. Are you forcing this energy out of you right now?"

"No."

"How in the hell…" Trinity trailed off, before he reproached her and snaked his hand forth to touch her.

The moment his hand made contact with hers, her energy flew over him and his eyes immediately closed while his posture relaxed and he groaned.

As he did not move after several moments, Kagome began to get concerned and removed his hand from hers.

At the release of the contact, Trinity reopened his eyes and calmly stared at her.

"You have the purest and most powerful soul that I have ever encountered in my entire life." He whispered, serenely to her. You truly are an angel." He said in total awe.

"Um. Thanks?" Kagome replied, feeling absolutely confused.

As Trinity continued to dumbly stare at her, she chanced another glance over his shoulder.

She noticed that the Ishii siblings had abandoned their seats and were now standing behind Trinity, staring down at her.

Kagome was starting to feel like a circus performer of some sort.

"So, are you going to teach me something, or not?!" She said angrily, as she stared at Trinity's stupefied face.

Trinity startled and shook his head, attempting to get his wits about him.

"Yes. I'm sorry. It's just…" He started. "Nothing." He finished. "You have great power but you obviously have no control of it." He said, as he stared at the blaze of light that was traveling over the ceiling. "Not that I can blame you, you're working with an insane amount of energy in the first place."

"So what do I do?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"There are two points of study that will assist in mastering the manifestation and control of your powers. The first is internal visualization and the second is external assistance."

"Explain."

"When I call forth my powers, I visualize the heat of them coasting over my body. The energy is naturally going to want to blast outwards, but I try to give it a path so that it stays with me. Think of it as electricity. Electricity always wants to burst outwards in many directions, but if you provide it with something like a copper line, it will calmly follow the line along your intended path."

For some reason Yuu eagerly nodded from his position behind Trinity's back. Apparently, any talks of electricity jived with his expertise in the subject.

"How the heck do I do that?" Kagome said, feeling dejected.

"Quell your powers and hold my hands. I'll show you." Trinity said, softly.

Kagome immediately quashed her spiritual energy and took Trinity's hands in hers.

She watched as he called forth his own powers and she felt the warmth of them flood into her left hand, before washing over her body and escaping from her right hand. Trinity held onto her for several minutes and Kagome closed her eyes while she concentrated on the current that he was channeling through her.

When she thought she had memorized the feel of the path, Trinity switched it, reversing the direction of the current quickly.

 _This is so cool!_ She thought to herself.

"Do you feel the path?" Trinity asked her, softly.

"I do, but how are you making it happen?"

"I'm visualizing the energy's path circling through us. I know that's not the best explanation, but it's the only way I can describe it. After practice, it becomes second nature and you don't really have to think about it anymore."

"Can I try?"

"Absolutely." Trinity said quickly, as he halted his powers and looked at her expectantly. "Try to push…" He said, as he pulled her right hand towards him. "…with this one. And pull…" He said, as he pushed her left hand. "…with this one."

Kagome nodded and once again called forth her powers, trying to ignore the way they blasted up and outwards through the room.

She closed her eyes and tried to visualize her energy passing out of her right hand and sweeping around to be pulled back into her left hand, mimicking the feeling she had just experienced when Trinity was at the helm.

She smiled when she felt a slow cycling twisting its way through her.

"You're doing it." Trinity whispered. "When you feel comfortable, try to abruptly change directions."

Kagome spent several minutes manipulating the current rotation of her powers before trying to switch it up.

Suddenly switching directions was harder than she expected it to be, it confused her and her energy, but after a minute, it was back on track.

"You're doing a great job." Trinity said, proudly.

Kagome opened her eyes and beamed at him.

"Now the second part of channeling relies on external assistance." Trinity said smoothly, as Kagome quashed her powers.

She didn't miss the sadness that crossed his face when her energy disappeared. She also didn't fail to notice that Mei and Yuu had taken seats on the floor next right next to them.

"All those who use holy powers also use items to assist them in channeling and controlling their powers in certain ways." He advised, as he held out his hand and spread his fingers. "Metal is a holy user's best friend." He whispered, as he flashed her his silver rings.

Kagome looked on as Trinity channeled his holy powers into his hand, she witnessed as his silver rings held the charge and he made a fist. As he did so, the light extended from his rings and down his hand. The light formed into what looked to be a dagger.

"Wow! Does it cut?"

"You bet your ass it cuts. It's as sharp as I want it to be. I control this blade."

"This is so cool!" Kagome said, with childlike enthusiasm. "Does the metal have to be silver?" She asked, finally understanding why Trinity was basically covered in the element.

"Some other metals could also work with varying degrees of success. But, silver is the best at holding a charge and some forms of iron could work as well."

 _Like the iron tips of my arrows!_ Kagome thought to herself, finally making sense of how she was able to channel her spiritual energy into her arrows. _And like the silver bullets that Trinity's family of Hunters very obviously used to take down werewolves._ She mentally added, as she stared at Trinity's necklace.

"Bullets!" She said, quickly. "I can use it with bullets, can't I?"

"Out of the thirteen conductive metals in existence, lead is number twelve. You could use it, but it won't work very well. The holy charge would disappear before you would be able to shoot it into anyone."

"What are the metals that I can use?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"In order of most conductive to least, they are; Silver, Copper, Gold, Aluminum, Zinc, Nickel, Brass, Bronze, Iron, Platinum, Carbon Steel, Lead and Stainless Steel. And before you ask, our company will _not_ provide specialty bullets, especially silver ones. They're way too expensive. I've tried." He said, chuckling.

 _There's not enough of a demand for holy based powers within R.O.O.T. to justify the expense._ Kagome thought, as she laughed.

"Today will be dedicated to practicing channeling." Trinity said, seriously. "Our next lesson will be on barriers and seals."

"Roger!" Kagome said happily, finally feeling like she was learning something about her powers.

Trinity smiled at her and Kagome once again called forth her powers, practicing to form a spiritual current around her body while Mei, Yuu and Trinity looked on.

"Can I touch you?" Yuu said in a whisper, as he watched her.

"Sure!" Kagome said, happily. "My powers don't pose any threat to humans."

Yuu nodded and gently took her right hand. As he did so, his body was immediately engulfed in white light. The current of which was so strong, it blew his long raven locks skyward.

Yuu instantly sensed a dull charge of electrical current spread though his body. It lightly tickled and the vibe was soon replaced by the most calming and peaceful sensation he had ever felt in his life. He felt liberated and pacified deep down within his very being. It was so very spiritual and utterly beautiful.

Yuu closed his eyes and let out a low groan of approval as he immediately released himself into Kagome's heavenly feel.

Kagome studied him before the sound of Mei loudly clearing her throat diverted her attention.

Kagome noticed the woman was staring at her with hesitation etched into her features.

 _She wants to try._ Kagome thought to herself.

Trinity seemed to figure this out as well and Kagome didn't fail to notice that he seemed to sadden.

 _Trinity, are you… interested in Mei?!_ Kagome's mind hissed in disbelief, as she studied him. _I can't believe it! You're such a good soul. Why in the world would you want to be anywhere near her? She is evil!_

Kagome couldn't help but take immediate pity on him.

"Trinity, why don't you show Mei?" Kagome said, cheerfully. "I mean, if she's even interested in experiencing something that is so obviously beneath her, that is."

Trinity quickly brightened and looked hopefully over at Mei.

Mei shrugged her shoulders in indifference, but quickly offered him her hand.

Trinity smiled widely and took it gently in his before he called his own purification powers forth.

Mei seemed to relax somewhat, but the effect was nowhere near as drastic as the effect Kagome had on her brother.

Kagome grumbled before she took Trinity's free hand in hers.

As she did, both Trinity and Mei immediately lit up and all four people became connected.

Mei's long hair flew up towards the ceiling as her eyes squeezed closed. She drastically threw her head backwards and a low throaty gasp escaped her throat.

* * *

 _What the hell is going on in there?!_ Koga's mind roared.

He wasn't able to stay away for too long without his unrelenting curiosity getting the better of him. He had attempted to sneak by the living room just to take peek, but quickly found that he was unable.

He managed to get halfway down the hall before his instincts pushed him backwards in warning.

Not one to easily give up, he spent the past twenty minutes trying to forcibly drag himself down the hallway and over to the living room on sheer willpower alone.

He hardly succeeded in moving his body one inch.

He was about to finally give up on his quest and turn to go somewhere else, when he heard Yuu moan.

The noise sounded absolutely sexual in nature and it didn't sit well with Koga at all, yet he was unable to take one step forward in his direction.

When he heard Mei also moan, he immediately decided that he just _had to see_ what crazy shit was going on in the living room without him.

He immediately laid down on the floor and tried to drag his body over to the room using his claws. He quickly became horrified to find that, not only could he not drag himself forward, he could now no longer stand back up.

 _Fuck! I'm stuck!_ He thought, becoming panicked.

"Wraith!" He shouted, trying to sound casual. "Can you please come here and look at this?"

He felt relieved when his instincts quieted down and he was once again able to move. He wasted no time in jumping back up to his feet, thanking a higher power that he hadn't managed to get caught trying to snoop.

Kagome's head poked out of the doorway leading into the living room.

"Did you need me?" She asked him, curiously.

"I always do." He said, smoothly as he winked at her.

Kagome giggled as she studied him. "You were trying to eavesdrop, weren't you?"

Koga's face dropped.

"How do I know?" She asked for him.

Koga refused to nod.

"You left claw marks all over the floor. Were you trying to somehow drag yourself over here?"


	17. Chapter 17

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 17

Trinity laughed to himself as he listened to Wraith tease Fang from her place at the doorway.

The pairing between a priestess and a demon was genuinely unheard of, but these two agents made it look as though it were the most natural relationship to have in the world.

 _Apparently the two are pretty serious about each other if they're engaged._ Trinity thought to himself. _Wraith must really love the guy if she is willing to give up on any shot that she has at having children just to be with him._ His mind whispered, softly.

He found her devotion to Fang to be bitter sweet.

As he shook his personal thoughts from his head, he turned to study the Ishii siblings that were still seated alongside him.

Yuu looked to be relaxed and somewhat euphoric. He was lazily listening to Wraith's gentle banter with Fang.

Mei however, was sitting stiffly at his side with her eyes squeezed shut. Trinity immediately noticed that her aura was flashing through every color of the rainbow. As Trinity focused on her, he realized that her cheeks were wet with freshly shed tears.

"Mei." He said quickly, as he leaned over to study her. "Are you alright?" He asked, worriedly.

The question stole Yuu's attention away from Kagome and he turned his eyes over to his sister. Apparently also noticing her tears, he quickly leaned forward and squeezed her arm.

"Mei, what's wrong?" He asked, hurriedly. "Are you hurt?"

At the sound of Yuu's frantic voice, Mei opened her eyes.

They were filled with terror.

Without a word Mei got to her feet and ran passed Kagome and out the door, startling her. She then continued her frantic pace up the stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Yuu and Trinity took off after her.

As they got to her door, they could hear stifled sobbing coming from within.

"What the hell happened?" Yuu demanded as Kagome and Koga joined them at the top of the stairs.

* * *

 _What the fuck what that?_ Mei thought, as a feeling of hysteria flooded into her senses.

The feeling that she had indulged in a few minutes ago had been like nothing she had ever felt before.

Seriously.

She had never felt many things at all in her life. But, when she was bathed within that light, she had felt happy and joyful. She had felt loved and protected. She had felt at ease and at peace. And as soon as the connection ended, she was left with a flood of memories, memories that never mattered to her before. But when her mind replayed them, they now elicited feelings; new feelings. The feelings that had come forth were those that always been described to her, but they were emotions that she had never been capable of experiencing.

She felt saddened at her horrible treatment of her brother throughout his life. She felt remorseful at the pain and suffering she had caused for so many people. She felt pain at the realization that, without Yuu, she truly had no one. She felt empty by the lack of love in her life and above all else, she felt so very disgusted… with herself.

It was like the warmth that Wraith drove into her heart, blew open numerous doorways that were never, ever, meant to be unlocked. With the warmth came understanding, and with the understanding… came true pain.

 _What have I been doing all of my life?_ She thought hysterically, as she ran to her room's mirror to look at her image.

She saw a beautiful woman with ink black hair and wide, terrified, golden eyes staring back at her.

 _So beautiful, yet so fucking ugly._ Her mind spat, as she truly looked within herself.

If she had known that touching Trinity would have led to any of this, she would have passed. She would have rather lived in her gray, boring bubble, than feel so utterly vulnerable and raw.

* * *

"Mei! Open the door!" Yuu spat, as he pounded on his sister's door.

He sighed before he turned to the soldiers that were worriedly staring at him. "What the hell happened to her?!" He roared.

Trinity sucked his teeth. "I have an idea. I'm going in there. Give me a few minutes with her." He demanded, as he took a step backwards and promptly kicked Mei's door down. He immediately charged over the splintered wood and right into the room after he did so.

Yuu was right on Trinity's heels, but was forcefully pulled back by a strong hand on his arm.

"Don't. Give them some space. Trinity knows what he's doing." Kagome ordered, as she held Yuu's eyes.

 _I pray he really does know what he's doing. I have no clue what happened down there and I'm seriously talking out of my ass right now._ She thought, worriedly to herself.

"Please trust me." She pushed, as Yuu's eyes became suspicious.

She released the breath she didn't know she was holding when he nodded to her and took a step back.

"Let's go back downstairs. Trinity will call down to us if he needs us." Kagome said quickly, as she steered Yuu in the direction of the stairwell.

* * *

"Get out!" Mei roared, as she watched Trinity burst forth into her room.

The man didn't listen. He stormed right over to her and stared down at her face, taking his sunglasses off as he did so.

Trinity's white eyes confused her for a moment, before she pushed forward in her attempts to rid herself of him.

"I don't want you in here. Leave!" She shouted.

"You're lying. You _don't_ want to be alone." He said, in response.

"What? How dare you?"

Before Mei could understand what was going on, she felt Trinity's strong arms wrap around her, forcing her against his chest.

She immediately struggled to break free.

To the man's credit, he held her firmly to him until her frantic movements finally stilled from exhaustion. He then took the opportunity to tighten his hold on her and rub her back.

"I promise you, it's going to be okay, Mei. You're feeling a lot of things right now and I know it must be very frightening. Draw strength from me." He said earnestly, in a voice that oddly made Mei's heart feel at ease.

"How do you…"

"I can see it. Your aura is going nuts right now. So many colors…" He mumbled into her hair.

They stood this way for what felt like an eternity. At some point Mei noticed that she had stopped crying and had been calmly listening to the sound of Trinity's strong heartbeat from her place against his chest.

She immediately felt embarrassed.

"Don't." He whispered. "Don't feel ashamed."

"Are you a psychic?" She mumbled.

At this Trinity laughed and Mei instantly decided she liked the sound.

"No, that would be way too complicated." He chuckled. "Those who have been blessed with holy powers usually have a lot of empathy for others. I'm no different. Only I can see the feelings of others, instead of feel them. Emotions appear to me as many different colors." He said, softly.

"You must think I am disgusting, then." She spat.

"No, Mei. I think you are beautiful. Especially when you light up this way." He said, honestly.

* * *

"What is taking so long?" Yuu said worriedly, as he paced at the bottom of the stairs.

"Why _is_ this taking so long?" Koga whispered to Kagome. "What happened in there?" He said, as he watched Yuu angrily storm around them.

"I was practicing my purification powers and we all connected." Kagome said sadly. "I didn't think anything was wrong. Maybe I hurt her somehow?"

Koga wished he knew what the hell Kagome was talking about.

"She was crying." Yuu said, furiously. "You could chop her leg off and Mei wouldn't cry. The only times I've ever seen tears come from her eyes is when she was acting." He spat. "I can promise you, she wasn't acting back in that room!"

Kagome flinched. She was truly starting to worry.

The moment that Trinity finally appeared at the top of the stairs and descended, Kagome, Koga and Yuu ran over to him.

"She's fine." He said, soothingly. "She's just a bit off kilter, but I promise you, she will be okay. She just needs a few minutes and she'll come downstairs to join everyone."

As if reading the silent question that hung over them in the room, he spoke again.

"Her experience in the warm light seemed to break through several emotional damns that lay within her. She became overly sensitized and is now experiencing many feelings, all at the same time. Above all else, she's definitely feeling very vulnerable right now, so please, try to be compassionate towards her." He ordered to the group.

"Compassionate… towards _her_?" Koga repeated.

"Yes. Be nice to her." Trinity hissed.

"We will be." Kagome answered quickly, as she placed her hand on Koga's arm. " _All of us_ will be." She stressed.

Trinity nodded and walked away, disappearing into the house.

"I'm sure it'll be alright if you went up there to check on her." Kagome said softly to Yuu.

The man looked like he was using all of his willpower just to stay in his place at the bottom of the stairs.

The slight encouragement seemed to be all he needed and he did not hesitate to set forth up the stairs.

"Can you please explain to me what the fuck went on in that room?" Koga growled, hating that he never seemed to ever be in the know.

"It's a long story. But, do you know how I connect with you using my tracking powers?" She asked, softly.

"Yea."

"Well, I did the same thing, but with my purification powers. Only I connected to Trinity, Yuu and Mei." She said, quickly. "Everyone seemed to have a peaceful reaction to it. Everyone except for Mei, that is."

"That's probably because she's evil." Koga grumbled.

"This isn't the time for jokes. You have a bad reaction to my holy powers. Does that make you evil?"

Koga sighed. "Maybe it's because of her blood." Koga stated, insinuating Sesshomaru's lineage might have somehow come into play.

"Mei is human. She's not a demon, nor is she a hanyou. Her demonic blood has been diluted over many generations, baby. There's no way there would be enough of it to have such a negative reaction back there. Just look at Yuu, he experienced the holy light and he is totally normal right now." Kagome clarified.

"Nothing about Yuu is normal." Koga said quickly, as he frowned.

"Says the wolf demon that decided it would be a good idea to claw his way across the floor to poke his nose where it didn't belong." She retorted. "Were you really risking getting yourself purified just so that you could eavesdrop? Was being nosey so worth dying for?"

Koga decided to quickly change the subject. "Did you learn anything new during your training?"

"I learned a bunch of stuff!" Kagome said happily, immediately dropping her earlier line of questioning. "I would love to show you."

"But, you'd probably kill me. So, no thanks, baby. I'm happy to hear all about it though."

"I'm not sure it would kill you. Sesshomaru seems to be able to stand up to it pretty well."

"Trust me, he's fighting his instincts with every fiber of his being just being in the same room with you once you go into purification mode." Koga said knowingly. "Only that asshole gets off on danger and any challenge that could bring him to the brink of death. I don't willingly put myself into dangerous situations unnecessarily. My instincts won't stand for it." He admitted. "That's what's allowed me to survive for as long as I have."

* * *

Yuu hesitantly made his way over the door that Trinity had knocked down and walked into Mei's room. He found her sitting calmly on her bed, staring at her hands.

"Mei?"

Mei looked up and studied him, unmoving.

"Seriously, Sis. Are you alright?" Yuu said softly, as he approached his sister with caution.

If Mei really was as upset as Trinity said she was, he knew that his sister would, most likely, soon become violent.

"Why do you put up with me?" She whispered, as she studied her brother's slow approach.

"Huh?"

"I've been a horrible sister. Why do you stick around?" She asked, her voice low and cold.

"For the inheritance." Yuu smoothly replied, earning himself a scowl.

"That's bullshit. You don't need any money. You make more than enough on your own." She retorted, knowingly. "You've never once taken so much as one cent from mom and dad's accounts. You even paid for your own education." She hissed.

"How do you…"

"I know everything." She said, honestly. "I've always known."

"You've been accessing the family financials?" Yuu spat.

"Does that really surprise you, Yuu?"

"No. Actually, it really doesn't." Yuu responded, angrily.

"Why do you go through with all the forced lunches and shared time that we've been required to spend together each week, when you've never once had to?" She demanded, now frowning. "I never understood…".

"Because you are my sister." Yuu said, honestly.

"I've done nothing but make your life miserable!" She shouted, now becoming infuriated. "So why the fuck would you continue with the 'happy family' charade, Yuu? It doesn't make any sense!" She roared.

"Because you are my sister." He repeated. "I care about you."

At the statement Mei felt her heart clench.

"If it weren't for the money, I wouldn't have chosen to spend one minute with you." She admitted.

"I know that. But, your crappy feelings about me won't ever change my feelings about you. You are a shitty sister, but you're still my sister. We're family. It's my job to protect you."

"It's never been your job to protect me, little brother. I was always supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around. I'm the oldest."

"That's never been your thing, Mei." Yuu said, seriously. "I've made peace with that a long time ago." He continued. "But, why are you bringing all of this up, now?"

"I owe you…" She stammered, as she looked down at the floor. "I shouldn't have been…" She mumbled. "Christ! This is horrible!" She spat, becoming frustrated.

"You're not making any sense, Mei." Yuu said, now losing his patience.

"I'm fucking sorry!" She said, choking out the unfamiliar words. "I am so fucking sorry. There's so much time that I'll never get back." She said, angrily. "I don't even know how to tell you how badly I feel about everything."

With these words Yuu hurriedly walked over to her and placed his hand on her forehead.

"You're dying, aren't you?!" He said worriedly, as he checked her for a fever. "What the hell happened to you, you're not well!" He roared.

"I'm not dying, you idiot!" She growled, as she smacked his hand away. "I'm just aware of so much right now. For the first time in my fucking life, I feel completely plugged in! That light did something, Yuu. It opened my eyes to so many things!" She admitted. "And, I have never felt so awful in my entire life. I feel as though I am in pain…" She stammered as she pointed to her heart. "… right here."

Yuu studied her for a moment before he tried to check the pulse on her wrist.

Mei quickly smacked his hand away again.

"Are you even listening to me right now?!" She shouted, angrily.

Yuu took a calming breath. "What do you want me to say? What can I do to make you feel better?"

"I'm not looking for you to say anything. I don't think anything can make me feel better right now and it sucks."

Yuu sighed.

He knew of one thing that always succeeded in making his sister feel better.

"Grab your sword. I'll meet you outside in ten minutes." He said calmly, as he turned and walked out of her room.

* * *

"Why are you calling me?" Kagome said seriously, into her phone.

"I just wanted to see how your vacation was going. We all miss you around here." Frisk said, with mock cheer.

"It's only been one day, Frisk." Kagome said, quickly becoming exasperated. "Why are you really calling me?"

"Gladiator really misses you. Since you left, he stopped eating. You need to come back here, right away. If you don't he _will_ die, Rai!" Frisk shouted, with a hint of desperation.

"Are you kidding me right now? If you don't have anything work related to say to me, then I am hanging up the phone."

"This _is_ work related. You need to come back to work. Cut the vacation short and come back home!" Frisk pleaded.

"Good bye, Frisk. I'll see you in a few days." Kagome said softly, as she quickly ended the call.

"What the hell did _he_ want?" Koga grumbled, as he tore his eyes away from their study of the surveillance monitors.

"He wants me to come back to work."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"Gladiator stopped eating." She said, casually.

Koga's mind attempted to process this before his own work phone began to ring.

 _Let me guess._ He thought, as he looked at the caller ID.

"What the fuck do you want?!" Koga roared into the phone.

"You have to come back to base!" Frisk spat. "That's an order!"

"No." Koga said quickly, as he hung up the phone.

A second ticked by before it rang again.

"You HAVE to come back to base!" Frisk pleaded. "It's a matter of life and death!"

This got Koga's attention.

"What happened?" He said, seriously.

"You do remember that we've been looking to fill a vacant position on our team, don't you?" Frisk said, in a low whisper.

The tease of conspiracy that laced Frisk's voice immediately drew forth all of Koga's attention.

"Yes." He whispered in return, watching as Kagome exited the surveillance room, leaving him all alone.

"Don't say anything." Frisk continued. "What I am about to tell you is a secret, Fang. You have to promise me that you won't open your big mouth to anyone, not even Wraith!"

Frisk smirked. Reeling Fang in was the easiest thing in the world to do. The man lived for conspiracy theories and the smallest promises of drama.

"What happened?" Koga asked, quickly.

"Promise!"

"I promise. What happened?"

"Swear to me on your blood, Fang. Pledge on your wolf demon pride!" Frisk begged, with mock desperation.

Koga seemed to hesitate and Frisk immediately went in for the kill.

"It involves Wraith." He said, innocently. "You must swear to me, for her sake, Fang. I need your help!"

"For fuck's sake. I promise. I swear."

"On your pride, Fang!"

"I swear on my blood, on my wolf demon pride!" He roared. "Now tell me what's going on!" Koga demanded.

Frisk smiled widely.

"It's the twins, Fang. _Your_ beautiful, assassin twins. Inspect is going to assign one of them to our team to permanently replace Quake."

Frisk almost laughed as he heard the other line grow completely silent as if Fang had somehow forgotten how to breathe.

"She can't…" He stammered.

"Oh, but she will. Unless, you are somehow able to get Rai back here in time to stop her." Frisk said, mischievously. "Can you do that, Fang? Can you manage to get Wraith back here? If you don't, all hell is going to break lose and you fucking know it! Think about what this could do to Wraith." Frisk roared. "This may very well destroy Alpha Team!"

Frisk's motivational speech was met with silence.

"Are you there?"

"Yea." Koga growled.

"Can you figure something out?"

"Yea." Koga huffed.

"Good boy." Frisk said quickly, before he disconnected the line.

 _Let's see what you're capable of, Fang. Get Wraith out of Tokyo. She's in great danger there._ Frisk thought to himself.

He almost felt bad lying, but he knew that if he told either of them the truth about what he suspected about The Order's interest in Wraith's family, they would definitely stay in Tokyo and somehow manage to get themselves involved. If Wraith were to make contact with her family, she _would_ lose her job. R.O.O.T had a zero tolerance policy towards such behavior.

* * *

 _Where the hell did everybody go?_ Kagome thought to herself, as she walked the second floor.

The house was eerily quiet and felt empty.

Kagome launched her tracking powers and focused on Yuu and Mei's energy. An invisible energy cord immediately formed and traced a path down the stairs and out the front door.

 _What are they doing outside?_ Kagome thought, becoming puzzled as she set forth to investigate.

The moment she exited the home she was greeted to the sight of Mei and Yuu involved in, what looked to be, a battle to the death.

"Stop!" Kagome roared, as Mei and Yuu's swords clashed right in front of her face.

Both siblings were smiling widely at each other as sparks flew off of their swords.

"What the hell happened?!" She shouted, as she watched the siblings retract their swords and dash off towards the side of the property.

Kagome threw her shield up and tried to chase the two idiots down.

She was about to pounce on Mei when she felt a tingle of electricity shoot over her spine.

As Kagome turned towards the street to search for the source of the threat, Yuu took a firm stance and raised his sword highly above his head, targeting his sister on the far edge of the property.

"Dragon Strike!" He roared, as he threw the tip of his blade down.

At the words, Kagome's eyes immediately flew back over to Yuu's direction and she was able to witness a blue blast of raw power explode from his hands and across the blade. The energy immediately shot forth in the direction of his sister.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kagome screamed, completely stupefied.

It was at this time that Mei smiled and also raised her sword above her head.

"Wind Scar!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, as she threw the tip of her blade down in Yuu's direction.

Kagome watched in horror as a giant yellow blast of energized wind exploded from her hands and down her blade.

The mini tornado hit Yuu's attack, and as both techniques crashed against each other, they exploded in a burst of yellow and blue light, effectively cancelling one another out.

"WHAT?!" Kagome screamed. "NO! THIS IS ALL WRONG!"

Both siblings finally seemed to notice Kagome for the first time, and they stared at her as if she had ten heads.

" _You_ are supposed to do the Wind Scar!" She yelled idiotically, over to Yuu. "This is all wrong!"

"Huh?"

"And _you_!" She shouted, as she looked off in Mei's direction. " _You_ are supposed to do the Dragon Strike!"

Mei narrowed her eyes in silent question.

"None of this is right! This is NOT okay!" Kagome sputtered, becoming oddly hysterical.

Yuu quickly sheathed his sword and walked over to her. "I know it must be incredible to witness these techniques for the first time." He said, aloofly. "But, don't worry, we're both in control. We won't hurt each other, I promise."

"That's _not_ what is wrong here!" Kagome hissed. "How can either of you even manage to do those attacks?"

"We invented them." Yuu said, as if she were stupid. "Named them ourselves and everything."

"YOU DID NOT!" Kagome roared.

"What the hell is your problem?" Mei said, as she walked over to them. "Have you suddenly succumbed to insanity?"

 _None of this was in either of their files._ Kagome rambled to herself. _Is Sesshomaru aware of any of this? Was he withholding all of this information all along? None of this is right. They shouldn't be able to do any of these things without the ancient swords!_

"Hey!" Yuu said roughly, as he grabbed a hold of Kagome's arms and pulled her to him. "Get a hold of yourself."

"How are you able to do these things?" Kagome sputtered, as she desperately searched Yuu's eyes.

Yuu's face softened in worry. "I am gifted." He said, simply. "Just like you are, Wraith." He said softly, as his gaze fell down to her lips.

The intimate moment that the two shared with each other was quickly interrupted with Yuu flinging Kagome over his shoulder and onto his back, while jumping high into the air.

 _What the hell?_ Kagome's mind hissed, as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

As she looked down, she saw Koga looking up at them with red eyes, while his fist was stuck in the ground where Yuu had once stood. There was a large crater in the Earth encircling his fist. His face was shadowed with unbridled fury.

 _Uh oh._

"What the fuck are you thinking, you puny wolf?! You could have injured, Wraith!" Yuu shouted down at Koga, as he landed in a nearby tree.

Kagome found that she was instinctively holding onto Yuu tightly from her current piggy back position.

 _This is way too familiar!_ Her mind, screamed.

Koga said nothing, yet Kagome could tell by the way the wolf demon angrily swayed his head, that he was planning to further attack.

"For God's sakes!" She shouted, as she launched her tracking powers and grabbed into Koga's soul.

She watched as his posture dropped and he relaxed, but he was still scowling.

"I need you to put me down." She ordered, over Yuu's shoulder as she cut her and Koga's spiritual connection.

Yuu tisked. "Suit yourself." He said casually, as he jumped back down to the ground and released her.

As Kagome took off towards Koga, Yuu unsheathed his sword from his hip.

Koga pulled his hand free from the ground and turned to face Yuu's direction, his posture falling into a crouch.

"Don't you dare!" Kagome shouted as she marched over to Koga, while trying to ignore the sight of his red eyes.

Koga frowned at her and he was about to start yelling, before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

As expected, the gesture completely confused him and when Kagome broke the kiss, he allowed himself to be dragged away from the impending fight by the arm.

As Kagome pulled Koga towards the house, they passed a horrified looking Trinity who was frantically going through the motions of the Christian faith's sign of the cross. As they crossed him, Trinity held both of his energy daggers up as if to defend himself from Koga.

Koga angrily smacked one of Trinity's glowing hands away and didn't spare the man a moment's worth of further attention.

Once inside the house, Kagome did not pause until she reached Koga's bedroom and once there, she furiously slammed the door behind them.

"You cannot attack him!" She roared. "Do _not_ fuck this up!"

"What the hell were you two doing?!" Koga accused, his angry energy blasting through the room.

"We were just talking!" Wraith spat.

"He was going to kiss you and you were going to let him!" Koga shouted, as his hands balled into fists and his bonding scent flooded the room.

"I was not!" Kagome yelled back at him. "There is no way I would have allowed that!"

"I know what I saw!"

"You don't know what you saw! You are supposed to trust me. Do you really think that I would betray you? I would die for you, Koga. I would never _ever_ betray you." She said, her voice trembling from anger. "How dare you accuse…"

Whatever Kagome was about to say had been silenced by Koga's mouth crashing possessively down against hers, his tongue dominantly forcing his way between her lips and dancing alongside hers.

Before Kagome knew what was happening, her back was being pressed firmly against the wall and Koga was pulling her clothes off of her.

His kisses were frantic, almost desperate, and his beautiful masculine scent was wafting over her, marking her, telling the world that she was his.

As always, Koga quickly succeeded in making her completely mindless.

Koga quickly rid himself of his own clothes before stripping Kagome free of the balance of hers.

"You belong to me." He grumbled, as he lifted her legs up by the backs of her knees, firmly securing her body up and against the wall. "You are mine." He growled, as his angry red eyes held her own, and he curled his lip up in a grand display of his extended canine teeth.

"Yes, _Lord Koga_." She said, with an air of defiance.

Koga did not hesitate to quickly slam himself inside of her, forcing her slick and readied insides to stretch around the thick and hardened length of him.

Both immediately shuddered from the sensation.

"Why do you punish me?" He whispered as he began to slowly withdraw from her, rejoicing in how powerfully her body always immediately responded to his.

"I'm not, baby." Kagome purred. "I don't want anyone but you, Koga."

"I love you, Kagome." He whispered in a low rumble against her neck, before he began to gently suck at her skin.

"I love you, too." She said in a hitched groan, as she threw her head back to allow him further access. "Always will."

Koga's hips instantly began to set a slow and drawn out pace, gently sliding into her and withdrawing from her while he lightly kissed and nibbled at her neck.

The slack movements were driving Kagome crazy.

"Please…" She begged. "I need more…" She said, as she tried unsuccessfully to move against him.

She felt Koga snicker against her skin.

 _He's punishing me._ Her clouded mind realized.

"I'm going to enjoy you." He mumbled, as he slowly pushed back inside of her, reveling in the way that Kagome shuddered against him as he did.

"Kiss me." She pleaded.

Koga halted his mouth's ministrations on her neck and instead dropped his mouth against hers, taking her in a tender and seductive kiss. His tongue stroked expertly against hers and he lazily explored the entirety of her mouth as his hips continued in their torturous pace.

Kagome, at some point, finally stopped struggling and surrendered to him, losing herself in the slow build up that he was eliciting from her body.

This seemed to be the response that Koga was waiting for and he finally began to pound into her, grinding his groin against her clit each time that he did so.

"You're so close, baby." He growled as he slammed into her again, feeling her insides harshly clench against his cock as he did.

"Cum with me." She whispered in response, her eyes pleading with his.

Koga adjusted his stance, backing away from her so that he could watch his hardened length plow into her while he immobilized her by the unyielding hold that he had on her legs.

"Mine." He growled, as he watched her insides tightly grip onto him as he withdrew from her. "This belongs to _me_." He hissed, as he frantically slammed back into her and held himself deep inside of her. " _You_ belong to me." He groaned, as Kagome's inner muscles fisted him and she began to immediately orgasm against him, her soul connecting with his as she did. Koga shuddered before pulling out and slamming back inside of her, allowing himself his own release and filling her with, what felt to be, everything that he had.

He tried to relax against her, but Kagome's inner core was desperately milking him, and he shamelessly released inside of her yet again, unabashedly calling out her name as he did so.

As he struggled to catch his breath, he gently released his hold on her legs. Once he was sure she had her footing, he practically collapsed against her.

"God, I love you." He mumbled, as he closed his eyes and took in deep pulls of her scent.

"Do you feel better now?" Kagome whispered happily against his chest, as she pressed a tender kiss over his frantically beating heart.

"A little." He admitted.

"It's just a few more days. Try to hang in there for a few more days, baby." She said, as she took his hands in hers and began to kiss his palms.

As she did so, she noticed the faintest of burns on his left hand.

"What happened to you?" She asked curiously, as she studied it.

Koga dropped his gaze to his hand and thought for a moment.

"It must have been from Trinity." He said, dismissively.

"That's all his holy powers did to you?" Kagome said incredulously, as she studied the small, slowly healing burn.

"Yup."

Kagome remained oddly silent and Koga lowered his head to look down upon her.

Kagome seemed to be lost in thought.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, curiously.

Kagome shook her head as if to focus. "Come on, you have to get back downstairs." She said softly, as she released her hold on his hands and separated from him.

Koga nodded and watched as Kagome gathered her clothing.

"I'll meet you down there." She whispered, before she took his mouth in a loving kiss and turned to leave. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Just try to remember, that we're only here for few more days, baby. Please try to tough it out." She said over her shoulder, before she entered his bathroom.

 _A few more days?_ Koga repeated to himself. _How the hell am I supposed to get her to agree to leave and go back to base?_ He thought worriedly. _If Inspect assigns one of the twins to Alpha Team, Kagome is really going to lose her shit. It's going to be a nightmare._

* * *

"There you have it. She's staying at her brother's house." Kondo said happily, as he and Tenshi watched the chaos that erupted on Yuu's front lawn from behind their binoculars.

"How many people are staying with them?" Tenshi asked, suspiciously. "I'm counting three and they all seem to be military."

"They're more than military." Kondo said, as he watched the woman who was dressed as a soldier drag a male soldier into the house. "That man is one of The Chosen." He said, as his eyes studied the man in the leather trench coat. "The other man is a demon." He said, disgustedly. "The woman…" He said, remembering the blue light that the woman had wrapped around her body at the beginning of the sword fight. "… appears to be one of the corrupted." He finished, refusing to use society's word of "gifted" to describe her.

"We're going to need a lot more than the two of us to assist in the capture." Tenshi said, knowingly.

"Yes. A lot more." Kondo agreed. "However we have an opportunity here to recruit a new member." He said, happily as he focused on the man in the trench coat.

* * *

"Is everything alright now?" Trinity said the moment that Koga entered the kitchen to find everyone.

"Yes." He growled.

Trinity surprised him by grabbing a hold of his hand and inspecting it.

"Don't worry, you left nothing more than a graze." Koga mumbled, offhandedly. "No real harm done."

"I wasn't going all out." Trinity said defensively, as he studied Koga's hand.

 _That's it?_ He thought to himself, as he looked at Koga's minor burn. _This is impossible! I should have burned half of his flesh right off! No demon should have been able to walk away from that contact with nothing more than a slight burn!_

"Can I have my hand back now?" Koga grumbled, interrupting him.

 _Only one of The Celestial can withstand a trained holy user's purification light!_ Trinity's mind roared, as he focused on Koga's relaxed face.

"No. Fucking. Way." Trinity sputtered, as his mind came to an intimidating conclusion, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Yes. Fucking. Way." Koga retorted, as he pulled back his hand. "It's _my_ hand."

* * *

After taking a quick shower, Kagome redressed and set off to her room to apply her bonding scent, clean her bite wound, and take her pill.

As she opened the medicine cabinet, she quickly found her pill and chased the giant dose of medication down with a glass of water. She then quickly got to work disinfecting the bite on her neck.

 _It actually looks a little better today._ She thought, feeling somewhat relieved.

As she scanned around for the small vial that held her bonding scent, she noticed that it wasn't there.

 _Did I leave it in my room?_

Kagome quickly went back into her bedroom and searched through her drawers, not finding anything.

 _Maybe in Koga's room?_ She thought, as she hurriedly ran back into Koga's room and went through all of his drawers and searched through his entire bathroom.

 _I could have sworn I left it in my medicine cabinet after last night's shower._ She thought to herself, as she fought the overwhelming urge to panic.

Kagome reentered her bathroom and scanned the medicine cabinet once again. She noticed that there was a small bottle of Chanel Beauty No.5 Limited Edition Grand Extrait Parfum on the top shelf. There appeared to be a hand written note attached to it.

 _"I relieved you of your decrepit perfume. I understand now that you were probably never able to afford something more pleasant. I hope you will accept this gift as a suitable replacement."_

 _Oh no. She didn't._ Kagome thought, hysterically. _Please tell me that she didn't get rid of it!_ She internally screamed, as her hands began to shake.

"Why didn't I keep it in my room?!" She howled. "What was the point of barring the bathroom door if I was going to absentmindedly keep something so fucking important in the bathroom, right where Mei could find it?!"

 _This is bad! This can't be happening right now!_ Her mind hissed, as she ran out of her room and set off to find Mei.

 _Koga won't be able to stay here with Yuu if I'm without that scent!_ Her mind roared, as it replayed the horrific memory of Koga practically tearing Frisk's face off when he had thought that she was about to kiss Anatomy.

That little spat out in the front yard had only ended as peacefully as it did because Koga was constantly exposed to her bonding scent while they were here. If he hadn't been, Kagome feared that she wouldn't have been able to stop him from truly trying, and succeeding, in killing Yuu.

 _Please let her have kept it!_ She prayed. _Please don't let her have thrown it away!_


	18. Chapter 18

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 18

Kagome frantically followed her invisible tracking cord downstairs and to the kitchen.

Once there, she found Mei casually eating an apple while making, what appeared to be, genuine small talk with Trinity. They were so involved in their conversation that they didn't notice her approach.

"I need to talk to you!" Kagome said hurriedly, as she took Mei by the arm and pulled her out into the hallway.

Mei seemed angered by the interruption.

"This had better be important." She said aloofly, as she frowned at her.

"What did you do with the vial?" Kagome asked, her voice desperate.

"What vial?"

"Don't play games with me!" Kagome spat. "The vial that held… my perfume." She said, attempting to simplify what she was asking for.

"You didn't like my gift?" Mei said, incredulously. "I'll have you know, that is a thirty thousand dollar bottle of perfume!" She said, completely insulted. "I gave it to you from my own personal collection!"

 _Of all times for Mei to try to do something genuinely nice for someone!_ Kagome's mind hissed.

"I love the perfume!" Kagome sputtered, hoping to somehow appease her and encourage the kind gesture. "That was such a thoughtful gift and I appreciate it. Thank you."

Mei's lips upturned for the slightest of moments.

"But I need that vial back. It's very important to me. I have to have it back, Mei. What did you do with it?"

"I discarded it." She said, becoming confused. "What was so important about it?"

"It's a medicine, Mei. It helps to keep me and Fang well. We need to have it back." Kagome said, honestly.

"But it stinks." Mei said, now completely confused.

"I know it does, Mei. I know that, and I'm so sorry that the smell offends you in some way. But, I need it. It's a matter of life and death for us. Which wastebasket did you throw it in?" Kagome said, pleadingly.

Mei studied her for a moment. "So that liquid, was a medicine?"

"Yes. Now, please, Mei. Please, tell me where you put it." Kagome begged.

The slightest wrinkle of worry traced over Mei's face. "I discarded it." She repeated.

"Where?!" Kagome said, through clenched teeth. "Where did you discard it?"

"Down the toilet." Mei whispered, as her eyes flew over Kagome's face. "Can you get another prescription?" She said, thoughtfully.

Kagome immediately dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"I can't believe this." She mumbled. "This isn't happening right now."

"I didn't know." Mei said, a hint of guilt coming through her worried voice. "I swear to you, I didn't know that it was medicine. I will go with you to the pharmacy and demand that they refill the prescription." She said, authoritatively. "They will not refuse me!"

"That's not going to work." Kagome grumbled, as she squeezed her eyes shut behind her hands.

 _I have to call Anatomy. Maybe his people have something on hand?_ She thought, before a memory of Anatomy's words came into her mind.

 _"Wraith, you're going to have to keep providing us with samples every month. It'll be the same process that you just went through. You'll come back here during your ovulation window and provide us with untainted samples. This is the only way that we can continue your supply, so please stay on top of it."_

 _My scent is made from my ovulation hormones and there is only a five day window each month in which I ovulate. This is the only period in which the lab can collect them. Each bottle of enhanced pheromones only lasts me until the next month's collection. Therefore, it is doubtful that the lab would have anything extra on hand._ She thought, hysterically. _And, I'm not due for another collection until next week._

"Are you alright?" Mei said worriedly, as she leaned over and placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"No. I am not." She answered, as she pulled herself up and pulled her work phone from her pocket.

"I truly didn't know." Mei said, softly.

Kagome chanced a glance at her and felt horrible, Mei looked genuinely sick with worry.

"I have to make a call." Kagome bit out, as she tore her eyes away from her. "I need to try to fix this."

"I will do whatever it takes to help you."

Kagome sighed. "Please excuse me." She said quickly, as she turned and went outside for some privacy.

When greeted with the fresh air of the outdoors, Kagome quickly walked off to Koga's car and sat in the driver's seat, staring at her phone.

"I can't believe this!" She yelled. "How could I have been so stupid?!" She continued, as she dialed Anatomy's number.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Wraith! How is your vacation going?!" He said, cheerfully.

Kagome could hear the beeping sound of a heart monitor going off in the background.

"I'm so sorry to bother you while you're working. But, I desperately need your help!" She said, sadly.

Her words got Anatomy's full attention and she could hear the sound of the heart monitor fade from the background, as if Anatomy was scrambling to get to somewhere more private.

"What is wrong?" He said, seriously.

"My bonding scent is gone." She said quickly, as she tried to keep the hysteria from her voice.

"Where is it?"

"Down a toilet. Please tell me that you have some sort of backup at the lab." She begged.

"What types of crazy antics are going on during this vacation of yours, Wraith?" Anatomy said, in disbelief. "You've only been gone for one full day and you've already been bitten, managed to get a bacterial infection with possible dysentery exposure and now you've accidentally lost your bonding scent down a toilet…?" He trailed off.

"You don't know the half of it." Wraith muttered.

"This does not sound like a romantic couple's vacation at all! It sounds more to me like you and Fang are on the equivalent of a college student's Spring Break! You two really need to get it together and grow up!" He said, angrily.

"I'm sorry. I have no excuse."

"Wraith, we do not have any reserves on hand for your bonding scent. Each collection is made to order, and everything we are able to make from those collections is given directly to you."

Kagome held her breath. She was expecting this.

"Are you there?" Anatomy asked, worriedly.

"Yes, I am. I just…" She trailed off.

"You and Fang had gone several months without your bonding scent in the past. You were both able to survive it back then."

"Yea, but _you_ almost didn't." Kagome said, angrily.

Anatomy paused. "No, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have survived it. Fang would have instantly killed me." He said, remembering.

"I need help, Anatomy. What can I do? Today is Tuesday. My next hormonal collection isn't until next Thursday, and then I have to go through five days of the collection process before I get a new vial of scent the following Monday. That's thirteen days to have to wait for a new vial!" She said, feeling completely hopeless.

"Try to stay indoors and away from the usual situations that set Fang off." Anatomy said, compassionately. "I wish there was something that I could do medically, but I can't, Wraith."

"Understood. Thank you, Anatomy."

"You are most welcome, agent Wraith. Please try to enjoy the rest of your wild vacation." He said honestly, as he hung up the phone.

 _Looks like our only option is going to be the shared spiritual connection._ Kagome thought to herself. _It's the only way around the bonding scent issue. It's the only way that I can keep Koga calm and reassured. Otherwise, it will be too dangerous for him to stay here with Yuu._

"Fucking, Yuu. Why do you have to be so much like Inuyasha? The one guy in the world that Koga truly saw as a rival for my affections. You look like him, you act like him, you sound like him and you fight like… Sesshomaru?" She mumbled, into the silence of the car.

 _This whole family is fucking weird._

* * *

"Yuu, you must come with me at once!" Mei said hurriedly, as she flew into the living room and interrupted her brother's work.

"Can't it wait? I'm trying to work here!"

"It cannot! I have dire news!" She said quickly, as she walked over and grabbed Yuu's wrist, forcefully pulling him up from the couch.

"What the hell is it?!"

"Fang and Wraith are ill." She said seriously, as she studied her brother's angry golden eyes. "Most likely dying." She whispered.

"Huh?"

"They are using medication just to be able to function on a daily basis." She said, sternly.

"How do you know this?"

"I found out by accident."

"You went through her things didn't you? Is that why you wanted to be in the room next to Wraith's? So, you could go through all of her stuff?"

"It was and I happened to stumble across that woman's decrepit perfume, only it wasn't a perfume, it was a medication." She said, hurriedly. "She said that it keeps her and Fang well."

"So?"

"I flushed it down the toilet last night."

"You did _what_? Why would you do that?"

"I didn't know it was medicine at the time. I only thought it was perfume. I made a mistake. I _did_ try to make amends this afternoon."

"It was no mistake, Mei! You have no business touching her things to begin with. You had no right to do that!"

"We must somehow help them." Mei said, avoiding his chiding remarks. "Wraith said that having the medicine was a matter of life and death for her and Fang."

Yuu rubbed his temples. "Can she call in another prescription? What was that stuff?"

"I do not know. There was no label on the vial that I discarded. Wraith said that trying to get another prescription filled would not work." Mei said, as she dropped her eyes to the floor.

"For fuck's sake!" Yuu, roared.

 _I'm not going to get any fucking work done today, am I?_ He mentally grumbled, as he set off to try to fix the anarchy that his sister had managed to create.

Yuu sniffed the air and set forth in the direction of the most potent scent, which just so happened to be Koga's.

As he entered the surveillance room, he noticed that Koga's eyes were fixed on the monitors, yet he seemed to be staring off worriedly into space. Meanwhile, Trinity had taken up residence in the far corner of the room. He was in purification mode and he seemed to be researching something in a small book that he had in his right hand. Every minute or so, he would look up from his book and worriedly stare at Koga.

Koga seemed to be somewhat agitated, yet completely physically unperturbed by Trinity's glowing presence.

"I need to talk to you." Yuu said with feigned patience, as he approached Koga. "I heard that my sister caused you some trouble."

Koga ripped his eyes away from the monitors and turned to face Yuu.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific." He said, as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"I heard what she did last night." Yuu grumbled.

Koga sucked his teeth. "How did that even come up?"

"She confided in me about her actions. She feels terrible. How can I make this right?"

"You can make it right by telling her to stop running around half naked in the middle of the night." Koga grumbled.

"Huh?" Yuu sputtered.

"I don't want to have to deal with that again tonight."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yuu spat, completely confused.

"Last night." Koga said, puzzled. "She was prancing around in transparent lingerie. She practically threw herself at me and fondled my teeth."

"She did _what_?!" Came an angry female voice from the door way.

All three men turned to face the doorway and were greeted to the sight of a scowling Kagome, with her hands bunched into fists at her sides.

 _Uh oh._ Koga thought, as his eyes widened at the sight of her.

"She did _what_?!" Kagome repeated, in a harsh voice.

"I have no idea what he's talking about." Yuu said worriedly, as his eyes flew between Koga and Kagome. "I was trying to apologize about the medicine that my sister dumped." He stammered.

"What medicine?" Koga asked quickly, as he chanced a glance back over to Yuu. "What are you talking about?"

"He's talking about my bonding scent!" Kagome roared. "Mei flushed it down the toilet last night."

"She did _what_?!" Koga shouted, now echoing Kagome's earlier words.

"I don't know what that is, but it sounds pretty important." Trinity mumbled, as he immediately quashed his purification powers. "I hope you're all able to sort this out peacefully." He said quickly, as he hightailed it passed Kagome and out the door.

"Mei threw herself at you last night?! She was half naked and she fondled your teeth?!" Kagome hissed, her hands shaking at her sides.

Koga gulped. "I was going to tell you."

" _When_?! _When_ exactly were you going to tell me?!" Kagome roared.

"How could you not have told your fiancé about something like this?" Yuu said, incredulously. "Why would you hide this from her?"

Yuu championed his swift reflexes when he instinctually ducked, barely missing the fist that Koga swung right at his face as he did so.

"How untrustworthy." Yuu said mischievously, as he walked over towards Kagome.

"Yuu?" Kagome said sweetly, as she smiled widely at him.

"Yes, Wraith?" He replied, smoothly.

"Shut the fuck up."

Yuu blinked a few times and his instincts began to kick up in warning.

 _This woman is dangerous right now._ He concluded, as he swiftly sidestepped her and exited the room.

"I can't believe this." Kagome roared. "You attack Yuu outside based on some conspiracy theory that the man was going to kiss me. Yet, you allowed that woman to touch you while she was half naked? You didn't even think it was worth mentioning at all today?"

"Baby, please. I promise, I was going to tell you. I just needed to figure out how."

" _How_? You come up to me and you tell me exactly what you so easily just told her brother! Or better yet, you could have come and woken me right fuck up after it happened last night!"

"I'm sorry!" Koga said, guiltily. "I knew you would react this way."

"I'm reacting this way because I'm finding out like this!" She spat, as she turned around and marched down the hallway.

After she felt like she had put enough distance between herself and Koga, she called forth her holy powers, reveling in the strained hiss that she heard from the direction of the surveillance room. As she stomped towards the door, planning to have a wonderful little chat with Sesshomaru, she spotted Mei in the entranceway.

"You!" She spat, as she turned in her direction. "I'm going to make this very clear." She said in a low voice, that bled with warning. "If you so much as touch my man, or look at him in any way that I find to be inappropriate, I will abandon you, just like everyone else has in your lonely life. Do you understand me?" She said, her voice dripping venom.

Mei frowned. "You'll abandon me?" She said, slowly.

"Yes, I will. I will not stay here to be disrespected in such a way."

Mei sighed and dropped her eyes down towards the floor.

"I am sorry. It was all a game. It was a challenge." Mei said, honestly. "But, I am no longer interested in that amusement." She admitted, honestly. "I feel differently about so many things right now. I do not want to cause discord in your relationship with Fang any longer." She said, honestly.

Kagome blinked a few times as she studied her.

"I was hoping that we could perhaps…" She trailed off.

"Perhaps, what?" Kagome said, angrily.

"Be friends." Mei said, stupidly. "I don't have any and I would like to practice."

Kagome took a deep breath.

 _This woman is either the greatest actress in the world, or she is actually being sincere. That holy light really must have done something to her, just like Trinity said it did._ She thought to herself.

"Friends help one another. They are kind to one another. They care about each other. Are you really capable of any of those things, Mei?"

"I would like to try." She said, earnestly.

"Friendship can't be bought, either." Kagome continued. "While I appreciate the ridiculously expensive gift, it does not make up for what you did." She said, angrily.

Mei seemed to ponder this for a moment before she spoke.

"How can I then make amends?"

"You _can't_ fix this. What's done is done."

Mei seemed to become dejected and Kagome left her to think about the finality of her actions while she left her behind in her wake, storming off to make her call.

* * *

"Do you all understand what you are required to do?" Tenshi said authoritatively, to her small group of eleven.

"Yes, sister." Their eager voices called out in unison.

"I have sent word to His Immaculacy, he is most pleased with the promise of a new member. Remember, The Chosen are not born knowing their true vocation in this world. The man that we are interested in must be enlightened, just as all of you once were. There is no sin in ignorance, only in willful defiance."

"Yes, sister." The group repeated.

"We will set out at nightfall. Unfortunately, although we always try to avoid the use of violence in our captures, tonight will be an exception. The woman seeking redemption is being protected by, what appears to be, a small military group and we must expect that they will attack us. Those blessed with holy powers are most rare and The Order cannot afford any more casualties. We must go in there willing to protect our own as the delicate balance of this world depends on us. We must go in there willing to take a life if needed, in the name of our grand mission. This takes prominence over all else."

"Yes, sister."

Tenshi nodded and broke away from the group, choosing to retire to her private chambers so that she could pray.

As she entered her room she took a deep breath and tried to center herself. The Order had been struggling since its formation one century ago. Those with holy powers were incredibly hard to come by. Once found, they usually had to be convinced of their group's purpose, and such things always took a great amount of time.

To make matters worse, a demonic militant group, going by the name of H.A.V.O.C, had been actively hunting down and executing members of The Order since their great leader, His Immaculacy, purified a slew of panther demons during the second great war.

With the rarity of members in which to recruit, and H.A.V.O.C's unrelenting slaughter of their members, they had struggled to survive up until this point. As a result of their constant state of hiding, The Order had solely confined themselves to public places of worship. They used these holy places to locate and recruit new members. They also used these locations to scout for, and identify, any of The Corrupted who had come to repent for their sins and seek redemption.

Redemption was a service that The Order was always happy to provide for them.

However, things have changed as of late. H.A.V.O.C. seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. Although The Order remained skeptical of their absence, many within their congregation have, for the first time, been able to take a deep breath of relief. With H.A.V.O.C's absenteeism, The Order's small group had immediately set forth in full force, recruiting and redeeming on a much larger scale. The process had initially been slow, but they had at least succeeded in gathering a fleet of additional members across the globe. Their small international congregation was made up of members spanning across all religious backgrounds, faiths and beliefs. Their group encouraged diversity, tolerance and understanding.

The goal of The Order was simple. They existed for the sole purpose of restoring the delicate balance between heaven and earth, restoring the world to how it was always intended to be.

One truth remained consistent across _all_ religions and belief systems, and this truth was the need for harmony. There were many different words in many different languages, across many different texts that were used to describe this harmonic symmetry, such as; good and evil, angels and demons, yin and yang, darkness and light, heaven and earth, the physical and the spiritual.

The war between good and evil had been forever raging since the beginning of time. Unfortunately humans, upon their appearance into the world, had been utilized as pawns, for both sides, ever since.

At some point, humans had unknowingly become the determining factor in this metaphysical war. And, as with most battles, sometimes the victory could only go to the side that boasted the highest numbers; which seemed to be the case at this particular point in time.

Unearthly spirits who commanded the power of light were referred to, by The Order, as The Pure, and unearthly spirits who commanded the power of darkness were referred to, as The Tainted.

The Tainted, being the conniving and evil beings that they were, had managed to tempt and lure the humans, mixing with them; defiling them.

This unnatural blending resulted in the birth of humans with supernatural abilities. These people were considered by society to be 'gifted' individuals. However, The Order used a more fitting term to describe them. These humans were known as The Corrupted.

The Pure retaliated against the introduction of The Corrupted by endowing select humans with their own powers, attempting to provide humanity with a means by which to restore the balance. Humans born with the powers of light were called The Chosen.

By removing The Corrupted from the equation, The Order would finally be able to reestablish the fragile balance between good and evil, and therefore, save humanity in the process.

"We have so much work to do. So many of The Corrupted walk the earth now and there are so few of The Chosen." Tenshi said sadly to herself, as she prayed for guidance.

 _Hopefully this man will be willing to listen to His Immaculacy's vision tonight._ She thought to herself.

* * *

Sesshomaru had the beginnings of a headache. He was currently staring at Kagome's furious image through their video call, while she filled him in on all that his granddaughter had managed to do the night before. For some reason the angry agent was engulfed in her purification light and it was ferociously circulating around her body as she spoke.

"Your powers are different today." He said smoothly, attempting to change the subject. "You have been training with them."

Kagome frowned at him and said nothing.

Sesshomaru mentally sighed.

"Your anguish is not in vain, Kagome. The tribulations that you have endured on this mission will be rewarded." He promised.

" _You_ should be doing this." Kagome said, angrily. " _You_. Not me."

"You are well aware of my inability to involve myself."

"The General is allowed vacation time." She said quickly, as she scowled at him.

"I cannot leave this organization without a leader while The Order is on the loose, Kagome. Nor, can I make contact with any of my descendants. My absence from their lives is for their safety."

Kagome sighed.

"Why is Yuu able to do the Dragon Strike?" She said exasperatedly, changing the subject. "Did you know about that?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your grandson can do a watered down version of the Dragon Strike and your lovely granddaughter can do a mock version of the Wind Scar." She whispered. "Tell me that you know about this."

Sesshomaru's head slightly tilted to the side as he stared at her.

"How the hell do you not know?! All the _neighbors_ around here probably know. After the battle that those two idiots just had on the front lawn, I'm shocked that someone didn't call the police. The only reason that I can think of, is that the residents here are somewhat used to such a thing happening with some level of frequency!" She shouted, becoming angry again.

Sesshomaru blinked.

"You are infuriating!" Kagome shouted, as she ran her hand roughly through her hair. "Absolutely infuriating!"

"What else are they able to do?" Sesshomaru said, curiously.

"I don't know. I haven't asked them." She said, angrily. "Aren't your people supposed to be monitoring them?" You said that you've been keeping tabs on all of your descendants, but whomever you hired to do such a thing has been seriously slacking off! There's so much shit that wasn't included in their files!"

Sesshomaru seemed to ponder this, lost in thought.

"What's the situation with my brother?" Kagome asked quickly, not allowing his attention to fall away from her for too long.

"I have a team assigned to him. He is under surveillance."

Kagome allowed a sense of relief to wash over her.

"Who?"

"Cover's group."

Kagome nodded, apparently satisfied with the selection.

* * *

"Can you please talk to me?" Koga pleaded into the phone.

Since Kagome turned on her purification powers, he hadn't been able to leave the surveillance room. Becoming desperate, he called her phone, hoping there was some way he could calm her down.

"My talking to _you_ isn't the problem. _You_ seem to have a problem talking to me... Mister 'I love the Kagome that doesn't have a bunch of walls up all the damn time _.'_ " She said, angrily. "What a hypocrite!"

"You're absolutely right, baby. I messed up. I should have told you immediately. I'm sorry."

"Can you imagine if I didn't tell you about something like that?" She rambled. "You'd never speak to me again! There would be a mountain of dead bodies strewn about as the result of your wrath!"

Koga sighed, refusing to picture the opposite scenario. "Speaking of my wrath, what are we going to do about the bonding scent situation?" He grumbled.

"We're going to tough it out, old school style." She said, angrily.

"No _we're_ not! We need to go back to base!" He pleaded, becoming desperate. "I'm not going to make it here without that scent."

"We have the spiritual connection." She said, quickly.

"You're putting this mission in jeopardy. People could die."

 _I have to get Kagome back to base!_ His mind screamed.

"I have to wait until next Thursday to go through another round of collections anyway. The collections can only be done during a certain time each month. You know that. There's no point in going back to base now. There's nothing that they can do for us there."

Koga growled. "Baby, please. It's safer there than it is here."

"You can go. But, I'm staying here, _Lord Koga_." She answered quickly, before she disconnected the line.

 _Shit._ Koga grumbled, feeling as though he was at his wits end.

* * *

Dinner was awkward and mostly spent in silence. All attendees seemed to be either guilty or angry about something. The only sounds echoing through the room were the muted sounds of the group's silverware softly tapping against their plates.

As they had done the previous night, both Mei and Yuu excused themselves early and headed off to bed.

"I'm going to take first shift." Koga called over to Trinity. "If that's okay with you."

Trinity nodded. "That works." He replied, as he happily headed off in the direction of the bedrooms.

"Everyone is gone now." Koga said softly to Kagome, as they made their way into the surveillance room. Once there, Koga did not hesitate to pull Kagome into his arms. "I need you to know that I _am_ sorry."

Kagome sighed against him. "I forgive you, but I'm still upset with you."

"I would be, too." He admitted. "Did you tell Sesshomaru about everything?"

"Yup."

"How did he react?"

"He didn't. He just told me that my pain and suffering would be rewarded."

Koga chuckled. "He's probably going to try to take you out to dinner or something and I won't be allowed to come. By rewarding you, he'll be rewarding himself, as usual."

"Probably." Kagome agreed, with a smile. "But, if he really wants to reward me, he'll do whatever he needs to do to keep my brother safe." She whispered. "The Order is after him."

"What?" Koga hissed, as he took a step back and studied her face.

"It's true. They've been trying to recruit Sota for two years now. I didn't even get a chance to tell you about it yesterday since I hadn't managed to get a moment alone with you." She admitted. "Sesshomaru has assigned the Beta team to his protection. Cover's out there right now."

"We have to be overly careful not to run into any of them." Koga grumbled. "How did R.O.O.T find all of this out?"

"From me." She said, simply. "I drove by the shrine yesterday on my trip back from the pharmacy. That's why I took so long in getting back here." Kagome said, quickly. "I saw two members of The Order running off the property. After they took off, Sota came to the car. He told me everything. The entire time, Sota's been under the impression that the people coming to recruit him had been from R.O.O.T." She said, sadly. "I had to tell Sesshomaru."

"You spoke with Sota?" Koga interjected, now becoming angry. "What did Sesshomaru have to say about that?"

"He was pissed, but he's looking the other way."

"Of course he is. He couldn't very well dismiss you. Then how would he be able to see you all of the time? The rules don't apply to his precious, Kagome." Koga spat.

"You make it sound as though you would have preferred it if I lost my job."

"You shouldn't have gone over there, Kagome. We've talked about this. You're putting your family in danger every time that you do. It's irresponsible!"

Kagome took a deep breath. "It is." She agreed, not putting up a fight. "I just miss them."

Koga sighed, and took her into his arms. "I know you do, baby. I know."

"Don't you have any brothers or sisters?" Kagome asked gently against his chest, hoping that he could somehow relate.

"No."

"Can you tell me anything about your parents?" She pushed.

"Not much. My mother died giving birth to me and my father was the ruling alpha of the Eastern Tribe for some time before he was killed in a battle for the title. I was a little kid at the time."

"Christ. Koga, I am so sorry!" Kagome said sadly, as she instinctually wrapped her arms tightly around him. "That's horrible. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"There was never anything to tell." He said, honestly. "I barely remember my dad and I know nothing about my mom."

Kagome felt her heart clench. _No wonder he wants a family of his own so badly._ She thought sadly, as she tried to fight back slowly forming tears.

"Don't get so upset." Koga said, beginning to panic as he studied her. "I promise, it's not as big of deal as you're making it out to be."

"It _is_ a big deal!" Kagome said, as she squeezed him tighter.

She couldn't help but picture a small, little boy with long, onyx hair and big, blue eyes, left to fend for himself in den full of ferocious wolf demons.

 _When he got hurt, who would kiss and dress his wounds? When he was sad, who would comfort him?_ She thought sadly, to herself. _Who would take care of him if he was ill? Who would tell him that he made them proud?_

The image of a sad and lonely mini Koga was so powerful that the tears that she had been trying to hold back fell from her eyes and she struggled to regain her composure.

"Kagome, please!" Koga said, frantically. "Please don't get upset. It's okay." He said desperately, as the scent of her tears wafted into his nose.

"You were all alone." Kagome huffed. "Who took care of you?"

"The pack did." He said, honestly. "I never went without. The pack is a family, Kagome."

"It couldn't have been the same."

"It wasn't the same as having parents, but I was never alone. If anything, it toughened me up."

Kagome sniffled.

 _I am forever making this woman cry!_ His mind hissed, as he dramatically tried to wipe away her tears.

As Koga traced her tears with his fingers, Kagome immediately pushed him away, her head snapping over in the direction of the windows.

"Danger." She whispered. "We're all in danger." She said frantically, as her shield immediately encased her.

Koga snapped to attention and looked in the direction of the monitors, noticing that several had gone black.

"Radios from now on!" Kagome ordered as she put her earpiece in. "Go and get Trinity!" Kagome roared, as she drew both of her Glocks from their holsters and ran out of the room.

* * *

"They're almost in." Tenshi said happily into her earpiece, as she watched ten members of their small Japanese group sneak into the property from her place in the van.

She was currently parked across the street.

"Shouldn't we be assisting?" Kondo asked worriedly, into his earpiece.

He currently occupied their group's second van and was parked behind Tenshi.

"We are to provide the getaway." Tenshi said, softly. "Patience, Kondo. We must be strategic in this capture."

"Yes, sister." He said, his voice filled with worry.

* * *

Koga flew upstairs in a blur and immediately pounded on Trinity's door.

"We've got incoming!" He roared, as he heard the man scramble to get out of bed.

The door flew open and a bewildered Trinity gawked at him.

Koga noticed, from the specific musky scent that wafted out of the room and over to him, that Trinity had not been alone, nor had he been sleeping.

"Get dressed and use your radio to communicate!" Koga roared, as he saw a naked Mei curiously peek at him from over Trinity's shoulder. "Get Mei and Yuu to safety! I'm going to back Wraith up downstairs."

"Understood." Trinity responded with authority, as he quickly disappeared back inside of his room.

Koga flew back downstairs and drew his own Glocks from their holsters. He was aware that Kagome was currently stationed at the back of the house by her scent, so he took his place at the front.

Several seconds went by before he heard Trinity, Mei and Yuu shuffle around upstairs.

"Trinity. Go into Koga's room and get his keys. If anything happens, you _must_ get the Ishii's out of here." Kagome ordered, through their shared radio connection.

"Understood." Trinity said, quickly.

For several minutes the house seemed to be encased within deafening silence.

Koga was barely able to make out the soft sound of glass cutters getting to work across the great expanse of windows on the first floor.

"We're surrounded. They're cutting into the windows." Koga advised.

"Can you tell how many?"

"No. Not, yet."

"Try to avoid killing anyone unless it is in self-defense." Kagome said, quickly.

"Yup." Koga whispered, into his radio.

In a few minutes time, Koga could hear multiple shuffling sounds set off within the house, accompanied by several different scents.

"They're in the house." He whispered.

"Let's get to it then." Kagome whispered back.

Koga didn't need to be told twice. He stealthily set forth across the floor, using his perfect night vision to assist him. He quickly came across a male target sneaking away from his position near the window in the living room, and Koga did not hesitate to aim his gun at him and shoot out both of his knees.

The man instantly shrieked in pain.

The noise of the gun shots and screaming set off panic within the rest of the house, and the sounds of heavy footsteps and the cocking of guns rang out across the first floor.

 _Shit._ Koga thought, angrily. _There was no avoiding the noise._

"Demon!" The man roared from his supine position on the floor as he bathed his body within a white, heavenly light. The man immediately began to search his person, obviously looking for a prepared weapon.

Koga heard the footsteps that were scattered around the house momentarily freeze before setting forth towards the location of his victim's voice.

Koga sucked his teeth. The man's holy powers had set off an angry itch across his skin and he did not hesitate to fly over to him and knock him unconscious using the butt of his own gun. Once the man was out, he quickly relieved him of the puny 9mm handgun that he had been carrying and kicked it across the room.

Koga wasn't expecting what happened next.

A stampede of four people burst forth into the living room. Upon catching sight of their disabled friend, they all called forth their own purification powers, the light of which quickly illuminated the room. The moment Koga came into view they quickly aimed their readied guns at him.

Koga immediately stumbled backwards. He felt as though his skin was on fire. He attempted to mentally steady himself before he bolted, twisting and flipping across the walls of the room at lightning speed, while the group of attackers attempted to fire upon him.

"Not happening!" Came a ferocious roar from behind the mob.

It was in this moment that Koga began to glow blue.

Kagome had wrapped him within her shield.

Koga instantly felt some relief and he did not hesitate to use the protective advantage that his mate had so generously given him. As an angry wave of bullets ricocheted against his shield, he slashed his way through the mob, injuring and disarming them. When he finished, he did not hesitate to sprint out of the living room and leave Kagome to clean up his mess.

When he got into the adjacent dining room, he noticed that three unconscious people had already been tied together in a neat pile there.

 _Kagome's been busy._ He proudly thought to himself.

"Fang, I'm almost done in the living room. Can you tell how many are left?" Kagome's voice calmly called out over the radio.

"Two." Koga said quickly. "Two females."

"I'm engaged with them now." Trinity informed them over the radio. "Upstairs in the study."

"Roger." Koga said quickly, as he dashed up the stairs.

As he ran down the hallway, he felt the familiar heated itch cross over his skin.

 _There's a holy battle going on between the two women and Trinity._ He realized, as he pushed his legs as hard as he could so that he could quickly assist.

When he got into the study, he noticed that a glowing Trinity had formed a giant sparkling barrier enclosing one corner of the room. He stood behind it along with Mei and Yuu.

Both Mei and Yuu seemed to be desperate to get in on the fight. They both held their katanas in readied attack positions and were scowling.

On the other side of the barrier were two glowing women. One held a staff and was very obviously working to take down Trinity's barrier, while the other was holding her gun in the direction of the Ishii siblings.

Koga smirked.

 _No one has noticed me yet._ He thought happily, as he burst forward and punched the woman with the gun straight against her jaw.

The woman's eyes seemingly rolled into her head as she flew backwards.

 _Perfect knockout._ Koga thought, before he turned his attention over to the other woman in the room.

Upon realizing what had happened, this second woman pulled her now glowing metallic staff forward and swung at him.

She was too slow for Koga's inhuman speed.

She missed.

As she raised the staff to try again, the glowing stick was promptly cut in half.

Trinity had dropped the barrier and had sliced through the woman's weapon with one of his holy daggers.

"You can't do this!" The woman screamed. "You are one of us! We must speak with you! You do not understand what you are doing!"

"I am protecting someone I care about from a murderous religious group." He roared. "I am NOT one of you!" He hissed.

The woman seemed to be horrified by his admission and in response, she turned up the juice. Her once controlled glow, quickly became a brightly burning, white fire. She quickly wrapped her fingers around Trinity's hands, and efficiently cancelled out his own holy light.

His daggers disappeared.

"What the…" Trinity stammered.

At this Koga and the Ishii siblings quickly sprung into motion, intending to strike her. However, their actions were quickly halted when the woman snatched her hand back and put a gun up against Trinity's head.

Everyone froze.

"You must be enlightened, dear brother. You _must_ come with us. This is _not_ a request." She spat.

Trinity stared at her wide eyed.

"Come with me peacefully and I will leave your friends unharmed." She promised.

Trinity seemed to ponder this before his white eyes landed on Mei.

"I have your word?" He said, with utmost seriousness.

"You do. I vow this to you." The woman confirmed.

"Lead the way." He whispered, as he tore his eyes away from Mei and looked forward.

The woman nodded and kept the nozzle of her gun harshly pressed against Trinity's head as they both began to walk across the room.

"We can't allow this!" Mei said frantically, to both Yuu and Koga. "We have to do something!"

Both men seemed to hesitate.

"If we so much as move in the wrong way, she'll kill him. What would you like us to do, Mei?" Yuu whispered, angrily.

As they all sadly watched Trinity march towards the door, they witnessed as the man suddenly became encased within a glowing blue light.

 _Kagome's shield!_ Koga's mind roared.

He was about to burst forward, but immediately realized that he didn't have to. The woman was suddenly blown backwards and the gun she was holding fell to the floor. She harshly slammed into the wall before she crumpled onto the floor.

As all eyes flew up towards the space that the woman had once occupied, her former position was now taken up by Kagome, whose leg was poised high in the air.

She had just executed a perfect round house kick against the woman's skull.

"Thank God!" Mei shouted, as she ran over to Trinity.

Koga and Yuu were right behind her.

Once Koga came alongside Kagome, he lovingly wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

His mate remained statuesque and didn't respond to his affections.

"Baby, I need you to get out of here." She whispered, her eyes trained on the corner of the room that she just blasted the woman into.

Koga's instincts began to growl in warning and he quickly nodded and made his way out into the hallway. He turned in just enough time to witness the woman struggle to get back up and she was holding Kagome's eyes with hers as she did so. In an instant she summoned her holy light and they exploded around her.

"She can use the rotation of her spiritual energy to cancel out the rotation of your own." Trinity spat in warning, as he watched her.

"I don't know what any of that means." Kagome said angrily, as she summoned forth her own holy powers.

The entire room was immediately engulfed in a bright white light as well as a portion of the hallway.

Koga hissed and fell to the floor while the woman in the room openly gaped at Kagome, obviously shocked.

"How?" She sputtered. "You are _also_ one of The Chosen!" She shouted. "How can you have such raw power?!"

Kagome didn't respond which seemed to infuriate the woman.

"So pure, yet you choose to consort with a demon!" She hissed, as her eyes flicked over to Koga who had assumed the fetal position on the hallway's floor.

"And you choose to consort with murderers." Kagome spat, as she angrily marched towards her.

"Wraith be careful!" Trinity shouted to her retreating form.

"Always am." Kagome said quickly, as she fell into her fighting stance. "I am going to knock you the fuck out." She calmly told the woman.

The woman instantly charged at her and tried to wrap her arms around Kagome's body, apparently attempting to try the same technique that she had just pulled with Trinity.

 _So stupid._ Kagome thought to herself, as she crouched down low and quickly sprung back up, kicking the woman directly in the center of her chin.

The woman fell backwards and flattened on the floor. As she did so, her holy powers went out along with her consciousness.

Kagome instantly quelled her own powers and rushed over to Koga's side.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, as she knelt beside him and checked him for injuries.

"I will be." He grumbled, as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Why do only Wraith's holy powers seem to affect you?" Yuu asked puzzled, as he stared at them from his place in the study.

"Because he is one of The Celestial." Trinity said knowingly, as he worked to tie up the two unconscious members of The Order. "Aren't you, Fang?"

"What? I don't know what that even means?" Koga spat as Kagome gently helped him up. "Can you speak normally in a way that everyone can understand, you dumb weirdo?"

"The Celestial are beings with almost God Like power. Those in Japan would refer to demons that fell within this classification as daiyoukai." Trinity said, in a matter of fact manner. "Your dark energy is pretty high up there, Fang. Only a shit ton of holy power is going to affect you."

Koga rubbed his temples. "If you say so."

"I don't say so, I know so. If any other lower ranking demon was here tonight, they would have become blackened toast five minutes in." He stated. "Unfortunately, your fiancé also seems to be one of The Celestial, which is why her humongous amount of raw holy power hurts you so much." He said, casually. "Her light energy is also pretty high up there, most likely higher in rank than your dark energy is."

"Can we please find a way to get rid of him?" Koga grumbled, as he pulled Kagome into his arms and threw Trinity a dirty look.


	19. Chapter 19

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 19

Sesshomaru stared at his phone's caller I.D. and mentally sighed.

 _What is it now?_ He thought exasperatedly to himself. _Has Mei somehow managed to blow up the house?_

He quickly accepted the call and silently waited for Kagome's familiar voice to begin speaking, which she quickly did in a commanding tone.

"The Order attempted to attack us tonight. We have succeeded in capturing all ten hostile enemy targets. They are all being restrained at present. Awaiting orders, Sir."

Sesshomaru quickly snapped to attention.

He hadn't been expecting _this_.

"I will send a team out to retrieve them." He said, quickly. "In the interim, ensure that there is no chance for your prisoners to escape. Once they have been fully secured, I will need you and everyone else to flee elsewhere. You have ten minutes." He commanded. "I will be back in touch with further orders soon."

"Understood. Please know that shots have been fired during the attack and the neighbors most likely have already called the police." Kagome said quickly, before she hung up the line.

Sesshomaru stared at his phone while he processed his next course of action.

 _If I send a team out, it will take at least two hours for them to arrive in Tokyo, Japan._ He thought, approaching the situation strategically. However, if I relocated the Beta team, they will arrive at Yuu's house in ten minutes or less. They would then be able to hold down the home until air transport arrives.

Sesshomaru weighed his options and made the decision that made the most strategic sense. Championing his shrewd decision-making abilities, he quickly dialed the Reconnaissance department head, Inspect.

She picked up on the first ring.

"I'm changing Beta Team's directive." He said coldly, as he rattled off Yuu's address. "Cover's group is to immediately report to that address and assist in the retrieval of ten subdued members of The Order. I am sending helicopters out that will transport both the Beta Team and the newly acquired prisoners to an airstrip. There will be a plane waiting there to transfer all parties back to our base."

"Yes, sir." Inspect barked.

"Department head Inspect, I want you to immediately deploy the Omega team to replace the Beta team's watch of the Higurashi shrine. I also want you to get in touch with Sage. The residents encircling that address have, most likely, called into local law enforcement by now. Have him misdirect their response."

"Yes, sir."

"That is all." Sesshomaru said calmly, as he hung up the line and now dialed the Interrogation department head, Inquest.

"Yes, General." Inquest said curtly, into the phone.

"I am bringing ten prisoners from The Order to my home base. Upon my word, I want a team of your best promptly dispatched to meet them on the runway."

"Understood." Inquest boomed, before hanging up the line.

* * *

"What is taking so long?" Tenshi whispered into the radio. "It shouldn't be taking _this_ long. It has been overly quiet over there and the house has gone completely dark. I haven't seen the telltale glow of our brothers' and sisters' holy powers in quite some time. "

"We need to go in there to assist, sister."

"If we do, and we end up getting killed, The Order's presence here in Japan will be completely eliminated." Tenshi said, worriedly. "There aren't many of The Chosen as it stands and we can't risk losing any more."

"What shall we do then, sister?"

 _I miscalculated. I thought our entire group would be more than enough to eliminate one demon, recruit one of The Chosen and capture three corrupted humans._ She thought sadly, to herself.

"We need to get help." She said, seriously. "We need to call in for reinforcements."

"That would take hours. Our nearest congregations are in China and Russia." Kondo said, dejectedly.

Tesnhi closed her eyes and prayed for guidance before quickly coming to an unorthodox solution.

"The man from the Higurashi shrine!" Tenshi said, thoughtfully. "Maybe he can help us."

"Sota wants nothing to do with us." Kondo said angrily, beginning to lose his patience.

"He needs to be enlightened, Kondo. Just as you once needed to be, once upon a time." She quickly, retorted. "Allow understanding into your heart."

"Yes, sister. But, may I suggest a more aggressive approach this time?"

"We cannot hurt him."

"We won't, but that man will not willingly listen, especially if we continue to allow him a choice in doing so."

"What do you have in mind?"

"We must capture the priest and force him to hear us out."

Tenshi reflected upon this.

"We are in a dire situation, sister." Kondo pushed.

Tenshi closed her eyes and once again asked a higher power for guidance. In a moment or two she reopened her eyes and calmly spoke.

"Get in my van. We'll go now."

"Yes, sister." Kondo said, his obvious relief coming through his voice.

He wasted no time in exiting his vehicle and entering Tenshi's. Once inside, he and Tenshi nodded to each other before she slowly pulled away and down the street.

* * *

"Has everyone been secured?" Kagome called out, as she checked her watch.

Koga studied all the bound and unconscious bodies that they had intentionally separated throughout the house.

"As secure as they're going to be." He called into his radio.

"Grab our luggage and erase all obvious traces of our presence here." Kagome ordered. "Once you two do so, meet the group downstairs and we will move out. We're going back to the apartment."

"What about all of our weapons?" Trinity asked, curiously.

"Leave them. We'll come back for them." Kagome instructed.

"Understood." Both Koga and Trinity called out in unison.

In a few moments time, both men rejoined Kagome, Yuu and Mei at the bottom of the stairs.

"Try to blend in with the shadows. We cannot risk being seen." Kagome warned them, as she opened the front door.

The Ishii siblings nodded and the group quietly snuck out of the house and into Koga's car.

Trinity made quick work of loading the car's trunk with their suitcases while Koga started the car. Once Trinity entered the car, Koga intentionally kept his headlights off as he slowly rolled the car out of Yuu's driveway.

As he did so, Kagome instantly noticed that there was a white van parked on the street in front of Mei's house. The van appeared to be unoccupied.

In the upscale neighborhood that they were currently in, there was no reason for anyone to _ever_ park on the street as each home had long stretches of driveway that could accommodate ten or more cars. The van was instantly suspicious and Kagome committed its license plate to memory.

Once Koga got onto the street and rounded the corner, he gave the car some gas, turned on the headlights and took off. He immediately gunned for the highway. Once there he drove several miles before exiting and circling around residential neighborhoods before reentering again. His pattern was random and had the sole purpose of shaking anyone who might potentially be following them.

"Once we arrive inside of our new location, we are to keep the lights off and stay away from the windows at all times. Is that clear?" Kagome asked Mei and Yuu, from the backseat of the car.

"Yes." The Ishii siblings replied in unison.

"Are the police going to Yuu's house?" Mei asked, curiously.

"No."

"The government, then?" Yuu asked.

"Yes." Kagome lied.

"Then why do we have to hide?" Yuu pushed, as he eyed Kagome suspiciously. "Why couldn't we have just gone to Mei's?"

"Because additional members of The Order may be on the way there to assist their brethren." Kagome said, quickly. "It's safer to be as far away from your homes as possible right now. The Order very obviously seems to be quite skilled at sidestepping security systems."

Yuu nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"These people might be experts at getting passed security systems." Trinity said thoughtfully. "But, they're not experts at fighting." Trinity said, angrily. "They obviously had no fight training whatsoever."

"Says the guy that was so quickly disarmed and became a hostage." Yuu said, in a low growl.

"Hey!"

"You rely too heavily on your bright lights instead of your guns." Yuu informed, him. "You may want to go through some fight training yourself. If Wraith hadn't shown up when she did, who knows what would have become of you."

"Shut up!" Mei hissed. "These people were after _me_ , you idiot. He did what he had to do to ensure my safety."

"If anything, we gathered some valuable information about this group tonight." Kagome abruptly cut in. "They don't seem to be fighters by any stretch of the imagination. Obviously, that particular skill set does not seem to be a requirement within their organization." Kagome said, thoughtfully.

"They are strongly trained holy users though." Trinity quipped. "That's obviously what they place prominence upon."

"If that's the case…" Koga whispered, as he finally pulled into their apartment's garage. "… then they must exclusively fight with demons."

"So why are they after the gifted?" Yuu said, angrily. " _We're not_ demons. Why are they hunting down and killing people like us?"

Kagome sighed. "They must think that the gifted have received their 'gifts' from demonic sources." Kagome said, wondering how much information she should really disclose.

"That's stupid. Their holy powers won't work on people like us." Yuu spat, as he shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense."

 _Hopefully the Interrogation squad can find out the answers to all of these questions._ Kagome thought to herself.

"How long must we stay here?" Mei whispered to Kagome, as she exited the car.

"The government is going to be sending in reinforcements. Once they do, and they are able to clear out Yuu's house, we will then be provided with further direction."

* * *

Sota stared up at the sacred tree that was located on the Higurashi property. He had just finished locking up the shrine for the evening and was about to return home and start dinner. His mother was working late and he planned to surprise her with a warm meal upon her arrival.

The night before, Sota had the incredible sense that there was a presence lying in wait within their scared tree's branches. Tonight however, he felt none.

The sense of nothingness left Sota with a most welcome sense of relief.

 _Maybe it really was a raccoon or something._ He thought to himself, now feeling embarrassed by the midnight vigil that he spent at his kitchen's window the night before. He absentmindedly scratched Inuyasha's ear before turning off in the direction of his house, with the dog happily following on his heels.

Halfway across his walk, Sota realized that the dog had halted and was curiously sniffing at the air.

 _Oh, no. Not again. What is it this time?!_ He thought angrily, as he backtracked so that he could retrieve him. _I swear, he only does this crap when it's time to go inside._

"Come!" He hollered, as he came alongside the animal and made to pull on the dog's collar.

Before Sota could wrap his hand around the collar, the big white dog charged towards the entranceway of the shrine.

"For the love of…!" Sota grumbled, as he ran after him. "Stop!"

He came up behind the dog, about to start screaming at it, when he noticed that the tuff of fur on the animal's neck had raised and he was lowly growling.

"Not this again! Leave the raccoons alone!" He grumbled, as he took a strong hold of Inuyasha's collar and tried to drag him back towards the house.

The dog instantly snapped at him, much like he did the night before.

An electric shock of warning tickled down Sota's spine, but he was too frustrated by the dog's defiant behavior to pay it any mind.

"That's it! First thing tomorrow, I'm enrolling you in obedience school!" He threatened.

The next thing he knew, he was encased in a blue shield and he was slammed roughly against the grass.

Sota stilled in confusion as an angry sharp pain shot through his right shoulder. It was at this moment that time had seemed to slow and he found it hard to process what had just happened to him. He could hear his own pulse roaring inside of his ears as a burst of adrenaline began to pump into his veins.

As he struggled to get his bearings about him in the dark, he realized that Inuyasha was going absolutely berserk and was ferociously attacking someone.

Sota quickly scrambled to his feet and attempted to run away. He succeeded in taking two steps backwards before a strong arm wrapped around his neck from behind and he felt the cold barrel of a gun against his head.

"Call off the dog now!" A gruff male voice ordered, against his ear.

"I can't. He doesn't listen to me." Sota sputtered.

This was the wrong answer.

At the admission, the woman whom had been struggling to defend herself against Inuyasha's angry snaps instantly drew her gun and fired at the animal's leg.

The light of the discharge illuminated the people in the melee for only a moment before a loud yip filled the air moments after the blast had sounded.

"My dog!" Sota roared, as he fought to break free of his attacker's hold with all of his might. He was vaguely aware of the pained whining that began to fill the background of the surrounding darkness of the night.

He almost managed to force his way out of the choke hold that he was in, when the female who had been fighting with Inuyasha rushed him, lending his attacker her support.

"Get off of me!" Sota screamed. "HELP!" He roared.

"Shut up. The dog is alive. It's only injured. But, if you keep screaming, we _will_ kill him!" The man's voice roared, from behind him.

Sota wisely shut his mouth; his frantic cries for help soon being replaced by his own gasps for air.

The arm around his neck was slowly stealing his breath away, and he was fighting not to lose consciousness, a battle he soon lost a few seconds later.

Subconsciously, as he felt his mind fade to black, he was aware that he was being carried away.

"Why would you fire a fucking gun outdoors, Tenshi? Someone is going to call the cops!" Kondo grumbled, as he struggled to carry Sota down, what felt to be, one million steps.

"I had no choice. What else was I supposed to do? I did not kill him. I didn't want to injure the poor animal in the first place." Tenshi hissed.

"Why do shrines have to have so many damn steps?" Kondo grumbled, as he shifted Sota's weight on his shoulder.

"So that you have time to reflect upon your sins as you travel towards your redemption." Tenshi whispered, condescendingly. "We have sinned tonight, brother. None of this feels right."

Once Kondo and Tenshi got Sota back to the van, they made quick work of laying Sota in the back. They were so enthralled by the need to get away that they failed to notice the savage and limping beast that rushed them.

Much like the man for whom it was named, the bloodied and enraged animal valiantly refused to give up. It dragged itself against the pain, down the shrine's many steps. Once on the street, the animal put every ounce of its energy into sprinting to catch up to its enemy. Although it only had the use of three of its legs, it bolted in such a primal and ferocious way that would have given even a cheetah pause.

As Inuyasha closed in on Tenshi and Kondo, he jumped high into the air and slammed all of his weight against Kondo's chest. When the man stumbled backwards, the animal instinctually snapped its teeth harshly around Kondo's neck. Once locked onto him, the creature shook its head with all of its might as though it would somehow separate Kondo's throat from his body.

Tenshi froze in horror before her mind kicked in and she scrambled to somehow assist.

"Get this dog off of me!" Kondo hissed, in a forced whisper as he began to brutally punch the animal that was crushing his windpipe.

The dog was too close to Kondo's jugular and he knew that, with one quick snap, the animal would succeed sinking its teeth into it.

To its credit, the dog fully took all of Kondo's abuse without so much as a whimper; it instead snarled voraciously and dropped its weight to the ground, attempting to use gravity to assist him in separating Kondo's throat from his body.

"Get.. it.. off…" Kondo sputtered, his voice high pitched and panicking as he began to lose his breath.

Tenshi quickly grabbed her gun and positioned it at the dog's torso and pulled the trigger.

A loud shot rang across the empty street.

The booming echo was followed by complete and morbid silence.

* * *

Kagome had her group huddled in complete silence in the apartment's living room. All the lights were off and it was almost pitch black within.

She heard the faint rumbling of helicopters in the airspace overhead and smiled to herself.

 _Sesshomaru managed to get a team into the area within twenty minutes._ She realized, wildly impressed.

As she focused on the rumbling overhead, she felt an angry electricity shoot up her spine. The burning phenomenon was followed by an extreme coldness that Kagome had never felt before, and the very sensation had her dropping to her knees sputtering for breath.

"Wraith!" Koga called out, as he flew to his mate's side. "What's wrong?" He demanded, as he worriedly looked her over.

Kagome just stared off into the darkness while her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't… know." She mumbled, realizing she was still out of breath.

"Are you injured?" Koga growled, as he began to frantically roam his hands over her body.

The exchange brought forth the attention of their small group, all of which flew to her side.

"I think. Someone died." She whispered. "Someone… I know." She stammered, as she fought to regain composure."

Koga worriedly stared at her, his head tilting to the side as he attempted to process her statement.

"So cold." She whispered, as she began to shiver.

Koga immediately pulled her to her feet and into his arms as he tried his best to wrap himself around her.

"Who was it?" Koga whispered, apprehensively into her ear before he dropped his own ear down to her mouth, attempting to give them the tiniest amount of privacy from their newfound audience.

Kagome clutched against Koga's chest and she focused on the swift and warm energy signature that had initially coasted over her before it left this world.

"Inuyasha." She choked out, through clenched teeth, in the faintest of whispers. "My dog…" She continued, refusing to cry.

Koga stiffened.

"Fuck." He spat, vaguely aware that the helicopters that had once seemed to be directly above them were now moving quickly away.

Koga didn't know what to say, all he could do in this situation was offer Kagome his physical presence. He hated the fact that they were currently on a mission and there were so many people around them.

The group stood in silence for several moments, before Kagome's phone began to ring.

"I have to take this." She mumbled, as she pushed Koga's arms gently away and took off to the bathroom that was located in her and Koga's bedroom.

* * *

"All ten prisoners are in transit." Sesshomaru's cold voice quickly stated into the phone. "Residents in the neighborhood have attempted to contact local police." He continued. "Our Intelligence department countered this by providing responding law enforcement officers with false information. The Tokyo police are under the impression that the government was directly responding to the situation and that they were to fall back from the area."

"Yes, sir." Kagome choked out.

"The responding team did a quick sweep of the area. They did not notice any suspicious people within a two mile radius. However, I must warn you that a nondescript van is parked in front of Mei's house. Did you happen to notice it?"

"Yes, sir." Kagome said, softly. "Do you need the license plate number?"

"No need. We already have it and Intelligence has already investigated." Sesshomaru said, quickly. "The van was stolen. Now that R.O.O.T is out of the area, Intelligence will call in local law enforcement to investigate. Hopefully, they will be able to gather a fingerprint of some sort."

"So, what would you like my small group to do in the interim?" Kagome asked, dejectedly.

For the first time, Sesshomaru picked up on the sadness in the agent's voice.

"Agent, Wraith. Is something wrong?" He asked, seriously.

"Yes, actually. I think my dog just died." She mumbled. "I could feel it in my soul."

"Your… dog?" Sesshomaru repeated, wondering if he had heard her correctly.

"Yes, Inuyasha." She whispered.

Sesshomaru stayed silent, not knowing what to make of this information. Kagome's powers worked in mysterious ways and the woman seemed to sense things that were truly not of this world at times.

In an effort to break the stretching silence, Kagome spoke again.

"What would you like me to do about Mei and Yuu? I have both at the apartment right now. Should we return them home?" She said, her voice becoming business like in quality.

"No. Keep them with you at that apartment until we can fully understand and investigate The Order's presence in Japan. The prisoners that you gathered will be turned over to the Interrogation department upon their arrival at base. Once we are able to extract information from them, I want all of you to remain in hiding. That includes refraining from the allowance of any mock battles on the front lawn!" He said, harshly. "Stay completely hidden."

"Yes, sir. We left our weapons behind as we were not able to fit them into the car." She said, quickly. "I'm sure that Yuu and Mei will have items and clothing that they will need while they stay here."

"As for clothing and other such items, Yuu and Mei can put together a list and Jaken will make the necessary arrangements to deliver their belongings to them. I will also have him replenish your weapon inventory."

"Thank you. I will coordinate this."

"I will be back in touch with details as soon as I am aware of them." Sesshomaru said smoothly, as he disconnected the line.

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Inspect said in disbelief, as she stared at her phone. "Fine. I'll be back in touch. Sit tight and await my orders." She spat, as she quickly hung up on Omega team leader, Frost.

 _If something happened to the man we were supposed to be protecting, Sesshomaru's going to fucking lose it._ She thought mentally, as she quickly dialed the General's number and waited for him to answer.

The General picked up on the first ring and Inspect pushed forward with divulging her information, knowing that it was completely pointless to wait for the Sesshomaru to speak first.

"There are cops all over the Higurashi shrine. Omega team just got there and has to hold back until the police are able to clear out of the area. I thought you should know this before I called in Sage to request that he hack into their findings."

There was a long pause on the other line.

"Are you there General?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru practically hissed. "I want to be alerted to Sage's findings immediately! Tell him this is priority above all else!"

 _Yup. He's pissed._ Inspect thought to herself, as she abruptly ended the call and dialed Sage.

* * *

"I don't understand why we have to stay here!" Yuu said angrily, as he walked around Kagome's apartment. "This is kidnapping!"

"It is not. We just ask that you put up with this for a few days. There could be additional members of The Order out looking for you and they all seem to be very familiar with where you and your sister live. They will not stop coming after you unless we are able to get rid of them." She said, angrily.

"What about all of our things?" Yuu pushed.

"Work with Mei to put together a list and we will have your items retrieved for you."

"Put up with it, dear brother." Mei said, angrily. "This is for our safety."

"Since when did you become on board with all of this? If I remember, correctly, you didn't want any of this protection to begin with."

"I've changed my mind." She said, coldly. "I can't risk your safety. We _will_ listen to these people. They've kept us safe this far and I trust them." She said, with finality.

"What about what _I_ think about all of this?" Yuu said, frustration lacing his tone.

"The oldest has spoken." Mei said, dismissively.

"Look, it's late. I know you must be unhappy about all of this and I understand that. But, why don't you and Mei split up between the two available bedrooms and try to get some rest. We'll come up with a game plan in the morning." Kagome ordered, as she tiredly rubbed her temples.

Yuu eyed her for a moment before walking off to one of the bedrooms and closing the door.

"Thank you for protecting us." Mei said honestly, as she passed Kagome. "My brother just needs a little time. He likes to be in control. This will take some getting used to on his part." She said knowingly, as she retired into the second bedroom.

Koga internally sighed as he studied Kagome exhausted expression.

"Trinity." He said quickly, as he turned to face him.

"Why don't you keep Mei safe tonight?" He whispered, as his eyes darted across the living room and landed on Mei's closed bedroom door.

Trinity frowned.

"Go. I want to be with Wraith. _Alone_." Koga clarified.

Trinity sighed and approached Mei's door, gently knocking.

The man obviously brightened when the door was opened and he was practically dragged inside of the room before the door swiftly closed behind him.

"Are Trinity and Mei sleeping together?" Kagome said offhandedly, as she stared at Mei's door. "When the hell did that happen?"

"Earlier tonight, I think." Koga said softly, as he approached his mate and studied her. "How are you feeling?"

"Upset." Kagome admitted. "Really, upset."

"Were you able to sense what happened?" He asked her, curiously.

He disliked dogs, but he knew how much Kagome had loved that stubborn animal.

"No. I just felt him leave us. That was it."

"That dog was pretty old." Koga said quickly, attempting to reassure her.

"He looked fine two days ago." Kagome said angrily, as she took out her throwaway phone and quickly shot off an email.

"What are you doing?"

"Emailing Sota." She replied, quickly. "Don't worry, it won't be traced back to me. I just want to know what happened. Inuyasha was _my_ dog."

"Kagome you know…"

"Not now, Koga. I don't want or need one of your lectures right now. Please." She said, as she stared at the floor.

Koga wisely quieted. "I'm here if you need me." He said simply, instead.

"I know and I love you for it. Thank you." She whispered, as she took his hand and pulled him over to the couch. "Looks like we're on guard duty tonight."

"At least Trinity is getting some action." He grumbled, as he allowed her to pull him down next to her. "Baby, I want to go back home." He mumbled. "Can you please talk to Sesshomaru and find a way to get rid of these two, now?"

Kagome sighed.

"I never ask you for anything, but I'm asking now. Please come with me back to base. The Interrogation squad will be able to pull information from those prisoners. We are no longer needed here." He said, as he pulled Kagome into his lap.

"What is the big deal?"

 _How to answer that?_ Koga thought to himself.

"I have the feeling that if we don't go back to base soon, something bad is going to happen." Koga admitted, priding himself on the honest statement.

"Are your instincts telling you this?"

 _Grrrrr._

"No." Koga grumbled.

"Something is telling me that we need to stay here. I have this terrible sense of foreboding deep within my soul, Koga. I don't want to leave here just yet."

Koga sighed as he tried to come up with a strategy to get Kagome back to base. While he did so he absentmindedly tried several times to take a deep pull of her scent.

"It's not the same is it?" She said, softly. "I'm sorry."

"You always smell amazing." He mumbled, next to her ear. "I've just been so spoiled lately with your bonding scent. But, we'll get through it."

His words were instantly rewarded by the soft glow of Kagome's tracking powers, and she giggled as he practically purred at the shared connection.

"We'll always have this." She said softly, as she nuzzled into him.

* * *

Once Sage's hacked Tokyo police report appeared in his, and Inspect's, inbox, Sesshomaru read it in complete disbelief.

They had lost Sota.

Correction.

 _He_ had lost Sota, Kagome's beloved brother, to the enemy.

Neighbors reported hearing a dog going haywire in the direction of the shrine moments before a gunshot sounded off. The shot was followed by the sounds of an animal in distress. Witnesses reported that the young shrine's owner was hurriedly carried to a nondescript white van by a male and female team. The dog, who, had apparently been lamed at the time of the abduction, managed to make its way down the lengthy steps of the shrine and put everything that it had into saving its cherished owner. Unfortunately, its efforts were in vain. The dog was promptly shot again, this time in the chest, and did not survive its injuries. The van took off, and the large white canine was left in a puddle of its own blood on the side of the road as if it were no more than a piece of garbage.

As Sesshomaru thought upon the honorable loyalty of the dog's actions and the poor animal's sordid demise, he felt his very blood boil.

He was interrupted from his murderous musings by a random memory of a lighthearted conversation he had once had with Kagome.

 _"No seriously! In a former life, I had a big white dog and I named him Inuyasha, too... Anyway, much like Rin, my little brother thought that naming the dog after Inuyasha was a great idea."_

Sesshomaru sucked his teeth and slammed his fist into his desk.

 _In my efforts to keep my own family safe, I inadvertently sacrificed hers._ He thought venomously to himself, as he replied to Sage's email.

 _"I want the corpse of the dog retrieved and brought back to base. **Immediately**. Coordinate the details and advise on the estimated time of arrival. I will collect the animal's body personally."_

Sage quickly replied.

 _"The corpse was taken by police. Their forensic team plans on extracting the bullets from the animal's body in hopes that they can match it to a weapon that they have on file."_

Sesshomaru could have killed someone. He took a centering breath before he replied.

 _"Get me the body of that animal, or you will be promptly terminated."_

Sage responded in seconds.

 _"Understood."_

Reviving the dog that was so appropriately named after his brother was the very least he could do. The bigger issue was what to do about Sota. If he told Kagome about what had happened, she and Koga would immediately abandon their current mission and take off after him. Her brother couldn't have gotten too far and Kagome would instantly be able to track his whereabouts.

But, if she and Koga fled, his grandchildren would then be left vulnerable and with only one protector. Because he was hiding their identities from the organization, he really didn't want to assign additional people to their care at this point in time.

His honor would not allow him to put Kagome's family into further jeopardy, yet he struggled to figure out how to he could protect her interests without sacrificing his own.

Sesshomaru found himself to be in quite the predicament. He idly wondered how Koga would have handled the prisoner situation.

 _He wouldn't have pulled Cover's team off of Sota._ Sesshomaru realized. _He wouldn't have risked it even if it were the obvious decision. He would have pulled in sleeper agents and assassins living in Japan to come forth and hold down Yuu's home until air reinforcements arrived._

The revelation of how simply he could have determined Koga's course of action seriously pissed him off.

As much as Sesshomaru hated Koga, the man was brilliant at strategy; never going with the apparently obvious answer, instead devising his own sound logic when approaching problems.

Sesshomaru stared at his phone and fought to swallow the bile that had begun to slowly rise up, into his throat. He needed help. But could he swallow his pride in order to ask for it?

* * *

Koga was in heaven.

His head was currently rolled back and his mate was trailing the most tantalizing of gentle kisses down his jaw and over his neck.

He was held in Kagome's spiritual connection and he could smell her musky desire for him.

She was about to take his mouth in a sensuous kiss when his phone began to ring.

The sound halted his mate's loving ministrations.

"Are you going to get that?" She whispered curiously, into his ear.

"No. I'm on vacation." He grumbled.

Kagome giggled. "It doesn't work that way baby. We're always on call."

"Fuck." Koga growled, as he asked a higher power for patience and rolled Kagome off of his lap. "If this is Frisk, so help me God…" He grumbled, as he checked the called I.D.

Koga's face immediately dropped.

 _Sesshomaru?_ He thought, as his instincts began to growl in warning. _Something is very wrong._ He mused, as he hurried to the garage and into the privacy afforded to him by his car.

Koga quickly accepted the call and sat in silence as he waited for his pain in the ass leader to begin speaking.

Several moments ticked by.

 _Why does he call people and not fucking speak?_ Koga's mind hissed. _This man is THE MOST infuriating…._

"Your skills are… needed." Sesshomaru spat, apparently struggling with his words.

"What's wrong?" Koga retorted, impatiently.

"I need you to analyze a most important matter and advise of an attack strategy." Sesshomaru said aloofly, with a trace of anger in his voice.

"I'm on vacation." Koga said, in a matter of fact tone. "Can't someone else there…"

"Sota has been abducted." Sesshomaru spat, forgoing all efforts to regulate his voice for Koga's sake. "I need you to devise a way with which to rescue him without sacrificing the protection of Mei and Yuu." He ordered.

Koga felt all the air leave his lungs and he struggled to speak. After taking a few seconds to process the severity of the situation, he slowly spoke.

"Why the fuck are you calling me? You should be calling HER." He growled, his anger dripping into his tone.

"Do you think me to be so dishonorable that I would not advise Kagome of this situation?" Sesshomaru hissed. "You truly are an imbecile. Hurry to devise a solution and I will immediately enlighten her about our present plight, you fool!"

Koga sucked his teeth.

 _He won't go to her without a solution to ease her mind._ Koga thought. _So he dumps this all on me, so that he can play the hero!_

"What happened to Sota? And I want details." Koga spat.

"It is not clear to me if The Order used tonight's raid of Yuu's house as a diversion so that a separate group could set forth and kidnap Sota, or if the two incidents were completely unrelated. However, a man and woman appeared at the Higurashi shrine and forcibly snatched Sota. Several witnesses saw the two capturers put him into a white van and flee. According to the Tokyo police department's preliminary investigation, it appears that neighbors have seen the two abductors at the shrine in the past. The loyal and honorable Inuyasha died valiantly trying to protect Sota." Sesshomaru said, with unbridled fury emanating from his voice. "This shall not go unpunished." He spat.

 _That's what happened to Kagome's dog._ Koga thought angrily, feeling his blood begin to boil.

"Why was Beta team not able to prevent any of this?!" Koga roared. "The moment I fucking see Cover, or any of those Beta team assholes, I am going to fucking kill them!" Koga promised.

Sesshomaru responded to this with absolute silence.

Koga blinked.

"You." He grumbled. "You moved them, didn't you?!" He shouted, incredulously. "You left Sota without any fucking protection, didn't you?!"

"I… miscalculated." Sesshomaru said, in a low voice.

"Are you going to tell Kagome that?!" Koga roared. "That you served her family up on a platter, all because you _miscalculated_?" He hissed.

"Silence!" Sesshomaru roared. "I take full ownership of my error! I intend on making amends, even if it were to require my personal involvement in this matter!" He roared. "The dog will be revived. Now, do YOUR job and figure out a solution to this present problem. At once!" He angrily demanded.


	20. Chapter 20

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 20

Koga rubbed his throbbing temples, attempting to soothe the pounding headache that he felt coming on as Sesshomaru waited in impatient silence for him to fix the chaotic mess that he had made.

"You have to let us go after him." Koga growled, feigning patience. "Kagome will be able to find him, but the longer we wait, the smaller the chances are of her successfully doing so."

"I know that." Sesshomaru, said angrily. "Would you suggest that she go off on her own to find him? The Ishii siblings require protection. One agent will not suffice."

"To hell with the Ishii siblings." Koga spat. "Trust me, they don't need us here protecting them. If allowed to fight tonight, they would have been more than capable of taking out that entire fleet of The Order all by themselves." Koga admitted. "They fight like you and your brother. They are not weak, Sesshomaru."

"Their fighting capabilities have nothing to do with this!" Sesshomaru roared. "I cannot risk losing them. They must be protected at all costs!"

 _So that's it. This is all about losing and failing to protect Rin, isn't it? You can't afford to make the same mistake with the rest of your family._ Koga realized, quickly losing what little patience he had on reserve.

"I have friends that can protect them." Koga grumbled, hating what he was about to offer to a man that he so vehemently despised.

"Who?"

"Wolf demons. My tribe." Koga said, quickly. "It's either that, or we take the Ishii siblings with us to hunt down Sota. Frankly, the second option provides us with the greatest chances for both their protection and Kagome's success."

Sesshomaru paused. He was very obviously not happy with either choice that Koga had presented him with.

"Time is short, Sesshomaru." Koga pushed. "Kagome needs all of the help that she can get and your grandchildren would be thrilled if you gave them an opportunity to lend her a hand."

Koga could almost hear the gears grinding in Sesshomaru's head.

"Leave the choice up to them." He said, coldly. "However, if either of them incurs any harm, I will kill you. That is not a threat, wolf."

Koga laughed. "I'd welcome you to try. Any day, any time, _General_. I've been waiting to have a real go at you for a long time." Koga said menacingly, before he disconnected the phone and set off to speak to Kagome.

As he reentered the apartment, he found her already on the phone; her eyes wide and in shock as she looked down at the screen of her phone.

 _He obviously has her on speed dial._ Koga thought, as he impatiently waited for Sesshomaru to finish filling her in on her current situation. _Of course, it needs to be a video call so that he can see his precious Rin's image._ He mused, angrily.

Several minutes passed before he gave up on waiting and knocked on Yuu's and Mei's door, attempting to wake them up and brief them.

As Trinity and the siblings answered his knock, he quickly filled them in and they all waited for Kagome to get off the phone.

"Who is she speaking to?" Yuu said, impatiently.

"Our asshole of a boss." Koga hissed.

As minutes ticked by, Mei stormed over to Kagome and grabbed the phone away. Once the phone was in her hand, she angrily scowled at the caller on the other end.

"Silence!" She roared. "You are wasting our time, you palaverous oaf!"

Kagome watched in horror as Mei gave Sesshomaru a condescending once over.

She could also make out Sesshomaru's shocked expression on the screen as she did so.

If the current situation weren't so dire, she would have laughed.

"Just who do you believe you are addressing, you scurrilous and arrogant brat?" He boomed.

"No one of any obvious importance." She said swiftly, as she promptly hung up the phone.

 _Holy. Fucking. Shit._ Kagome thought. _There's going to be hell to pay for that!_

By the time Kagome looked away from Mei, she noticed that their entire group was looking expectantly at her.

All except for Koga, who had very obviously run off to another room so that he could laugh loudly at Sesshomaru's expense.

"We're coming." Yuu growled out, angrily over Koga's laughter. "We can't allow you to suffer on our account."

Mei nodded, her eyes sharp and fierce as she set off to grab her sword while her brother did the same.

Kagome nodded and met Koga's eyes the moment he reentered the room.

"This is _your_ plan?" She asked worriedly, as she came to his side.

"It is, agent _Wraith_." He whispered, instantly reminding her of role as leader. "Now do what you need to do and take command."

Kagome blinked and Koga watched as her worried eyes instantly steeled.

"We'll split up between our car and Trinity's." She ordered. "Before we head out, load up whatever ammo you can." She continued, before she turned to face Mei and Yuu.

"How comfortable are you two with firearms?" She demanded.

"We're not, but how hard can it be to aim and shoot?" Mei said, quickly.

Her comment was rewarded by a swift smack to the back of her head, courtesy of her brother.

"Do you know how to load and ready a gun, dummy?" Yuu spat. "That's what she's asking us. Do you mechanically understand how to work a gun?"

"No." She muttered, as her eyes narrowed at Yuu.

"See that Trinity shows you in the car. You two will be riding with him." Kagome said quickly, as she set forth to the garage and joined Koga.

* * *

Tenshi drove as quickly as she could back to the Nezu Shrine that she was in charge of.

She thanked her God as she pulled into the entrance and hid the van towards the back of the property.

Kondo was a bloody mess and she feared for his survival. She needed to get him inside and stitch him up as quickly as possible.

Thankfully, Kondo was able to walk and assisted her in getting himself indoors while she worked to drag Sota out of the van and inside.

Once there, she quickly tied Sota up and set to work on fixing the disaster that the dog had made of Kondo's throat. Several times she almost passed out while she was working at the stitches. She didn't have the stomach for such work.

"You need to see a doctor." Tenshi whispered, as she disinfected Kondo's wounds.

"Were you able to stop the bleeding?" He asked.

"Yes. But, a professional should look at this. The gashes were very deep." She admitted.

"I can't go anywhere right now. If I show up at a hospital, they will most likely call the police. I'm sure they are looking for us, sister."

Tenshi sighed. "It is not worth losing your life to an infection, brother."

"Do you two assholes mind telling me what the fuck you think you're doing?" Came an angry male voice over to the side.

"Apparently our newest member has awakened." Tenshi mumbled, as she studied Sota.

The man was absolutely furious.

"We brought you here because we need your help. You have holy powers, just like us." Tenshi said quickly, as she shuffled to his side. "You must listen to our story and make a choice, brother."

"You guys are a bunch of lunatics! You hurt my dog! You kidnapped me! How dare you?!"

Tenshi and Kondo exchanged worried glances.

 _We did more than hurt your dog._ Tenshi thought remorsefully to herself, before she spoke.

"Please listen to what I have to say, Sota. I am begging for your help, but I can't force you. However, I _can_ force you to at least hear my words." She said sadly, as she stood up and retrieved a roll of duct tape, working a piece of the metallic colored tape off of the roll and affixing it to Sota's mouth."

Sota rolled his eyes in defiance.

"In the beginning, there was light and there was darkness." Tenshi said, softly as she recited a story she had told many times over.

* * *

As Sesshomaru, with Tenseiga in hand, walked to the runway to look upon the prisoners that Kagome captured from The Order, he decided that he was having a pretty bad day.

On top of failing Kagome, he had to stoop so low as to ask Koga for help. If that hadn't been awful enough, his granddaughter, who looked exactly like his mother but with black hair, mouthed off to him, demeaning him in front of Kagome's group.

To say he wanted to kill some _one_ would be an understatement. He wanted to kill… many.

He waited in full composure, his mask in place, as he watched the group of prisoners exit the plane, one by one, into the loving arms of his Interrogation department, all of whom were happily waiting for them at the end of the runway.

As each of the members of The Order passed him their eyes widened in shock. They immediately knew what he was.

One woman, with a bruised and blackened chin and a split lip was moronic enough to activate her purification powers as she stared at him.

Sesshomaru inwardly smiled and approached her.

 _This woman's energy doesn't so much as tickle the skin._ He thought smugly to himself, as he towered over her and studied her.

"Demon!" The woman spat in horror.

Sesshomaru reached out and smoothly waved his hand across her holy light several times. He then slowly raised his hand up to her eyes.

The woman stared at his unscorched palm in absolute terror.

"You are _nothing_." He said, casually. "Did you truly believe that you were powerful?" He asked, snidely.

The woman's jaw dropped as Cover pushed her from behind.

"You're holding up the line." He informed her, as he set her back into motion.

 _There. I feel somewhat better now._ Sesshomaru thought to himself.

"Interrogation agents." Sesshomaru boomed, as he approached the waiting group at the end of the runway. "These people must be broken down as quickly as possible." He ordered. "Use whatever means necessary and keep me updated on any progress you make, or any difficulties that you encounter." He demanded.

"Yes, Sir." The agents replied in unison.

Sesshomaru quickly turned on his heel and headed over to the far side of the runway. He had another arrival to wait for.

A most precious one.

He quickly retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed Anatomy.

When the man answered, for once, he did not delay his speech.

"I will be reviving a dog within the hour." He stated, curtly. "I will be bringing him to your hospital. He has been shot at close range through the heart and again in the leg. I require your expertise." He requested.

Anatomy paused for a moment, before readily accepting.

"I will prepare a room and my staff. I am happy to help, General." He said, honestly. "However, there is one very big problem." He warned. "With such a fatal injury to the animal's heart, the animal most likely suffered severe blood loss and will most certainly require a blood transfusion. We will need to find a donor animal or we will risk the chance that the dog will perish due to its insufficient amount of blood at the time of revival."

Sesshomaru felt his newfound good mood instantly go to shit.

"We do not have dogs on the base…" He started, before a random image of Frisk smiling while flashing two thumbs up popped into his mind.

"Allow me to get back to you." Sesshomaru said quickly, as he hung up the line and dialed a number he had flagged as 'trouble' in his contact listing.

Agent Frisk oddly answered before the phone even had the chance to ring.

"Agent Frisk at your service, General!" The man cheerfully sang into the phone.

"What became of all of the dogs that you smuggled onto this base from Taiwan?" Sesshomaru demanded.

Frisk immediately silenced.

Sesshomaru could have strangled someone.

"Before you even think of lying to me... _do not_." Sesshomaru warned. "I am in need of those animals, agent Frisk. If you hid them away, which I imagine you did, as I have not been made aware of any of the twenty smuggled dogs _ever_ leaving this base, I assure you that you will not be penalized in any way."

Sesshomaru heard Frisk take a sigh of relief.

"Gladiator is with me. His ninteen friends were secretly gifted to other agents here on the base."

"Gather _all_ of the animals and await my arrival in front of the base's hospital." Sesshomaru ordered. "Immediately."

"Yes, Sir." Frisk said quickly, as he disconnected the call.

* * *

"Make a right." Kagome ordered. "Then head northeast." She said, shortly thereafter.

Koga quickly followed her directions with Trinity's car following close behind him.

Several times, Koga swore he could see a thread of light appear, however it would disappear just as quickly, as if a trick of the eye.

"What's the plan?" Koga grumbled, as he pushed his car around a corner.

"Depends on the location and the number of people that we're up against. We will need to do some reconnaissance once we get to… wherever it is that we're going."

"Sounds like fun." Koga said, sarcastically.

"Oh, it will be fun. There is going to be hell to pay if any one of those assholes so much as laid one finger on my brother." Kagome spat.

"Do you really think they'll hurt him?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't put it passed them at this point. Hopefully, Sota has enough sense to play along with his kidnappers."

Koga frowned as he remembered Kagome's brother's personality.

 _He's not going to play along._ He thought to himself. _No way._

"My mother must be beside herself." Kagome said, angrily. "Her son was kidnapped and the family dog is dead." She hissed.

"Sesshomaru will be reviving Inuyasha." Koga said, quickly. "Didn't he tell you that?"

"If he was going to, he never got the chance to before Mei hung up on him." Kagome said, as she felt a moment of slight relief. "That is so kind of him."

"Kind?" Koga roared. "He's the one that got the dog killed in the first place. He's not being kind, he's trying to fix his own stupid mistake so that you don't hate him."

"Why would I hate him?"

"What the hell did Sesshomaru say to you on the phone, Kagome?"

"He told me he made a mistake." She said, honestly. "He pulled Beta team off of Sota and moved them to oversee the retrieval of the prisoners at Yuu's house."

"And all of that is okay with you?" Koga asked, incredulously.

"No, it's _not_ okay with me, but he didn't make some ridiculous and irresponsible decision, Koga. If I were in his position, I honestly would have done the same thing. He didn't do any of this on purpose. He didn't want any of this to happen. My current situation puts his family in a predicament as well."

"Unbelievable." Koga said, as he shook his head. "He didn't even attempt to think of another option outside of what he thought to be the most obvious choice."

"Baby, you truly are gifted. You are very easily able to think of things that other people may not. You can't hold everyone up to your own standards all of the time. If you do, you're always going to be let down."

" _You_ never let me down." He mumbled.

"I'll take that as a compliment. But, you do disagree with my decisions quite often, Koga. At least once per mission and we usually argue about our different opinions whenever we get back to base. Have you forgotten?" She asked, innocently.

Koga remained silent.

 _He has a selective memory._ She thought to herself.

* * *

When Tenshi finished reciting her story, Kondo walked over to Sota and gently removed the duct tape from his mouth.

Sota licked his lips and took a deep breath of relief. He noticed that Tenshi and Kondo were staring expectantly at him, waiting for him to speak.

"You do realize that you're murderers, don't you?" Sota said calmly, as he studied them.

"This is a normal reaction to have." Tenshi said, softly. "Your response is the same response of many that have first heard of our plight."

"Did the one that you call, 'His Immaculacy', come up with all of this shit?" Sota asked, in disbelief. "Who is this guy?"

"He is one of The Celestial. He commands God like holy power." Tenshi explained. "He established our congregation and believes in tolerance and acceptance of all humans."

"Uncorrupted humans." Sota corrected. "The Corrupted ones don't seem to count, even though they are, technically, still human."

"They are _not_ human." Kondo said quickly. "As long as one drop of dark spiritual energy taints their blood, they are not, nor can ever be, classified as human."

"Based on that logic, The Chosen aren't humans either, then." Sota said, simply. "You just told me that The Pure spirits gifted select humans with their light energy. Wouldn't that mean that The Chosen's humanity is tainted as well?"

Tenshi and Kondo's brows furrowed for a moment before they frowned at him.

"No." Kondo said, angrily.

"But it's the same thing! It's just the opposite viewpoint to your 'ever raging battle' story. To me, it sounds like there's some serious discrimination going on in this group of yours. You should all take an ethics class at some point." Sota retorted, in a matter of fact tone. "You're making an excuse for your own people, even though they're technically not humans based upon your own definition of what makes a human, human."

"We have been blessed, Sota." Tenshi supplied.

"So have The Corrupted. Most of these gifted beings use their powers to help humanity. You are aware of that, aren't you? The same can be said of dark unearthly spirits, a.k.a demons. So many of them use their powers to help, not harm."

"No dark spirits help this world." Kondo spat. "Not one. And as for The Corrupted using their powers for good, many of them also use their powers for evil."

"Yes, many of The Corrupted use their powers for evil and it seems that many of The Chosen obviously do as well." Sota continued, unperturbed.

He could discuss theology all day. He majored in it in college.

"The Chosen would never …"

"…kidnap anyone, kill others, harm animals, blindly believe in some lunatic's ramblings about restoring order to the…" Sota, rattled off.

"Shut up!" Kondo hissed. "Shut the fuck up!"

"…use foul language…" Sota continued.

"Sota, please." Tenshi said, softly. "You're not trying to embrace this."

"And you're not trying to analyze _any_ of this." Sota grumbled. "Don't get me wrong, your story is beautiful and compelling. Who wouldn't want to join the 'good' and enlist in the war to banish 'evil'. However, blind devotion is just that. Blind. You want me to embrace your mission, but it doesn't seem to me that you've ever once held your own people up to the standards that you so ruthlessly hold others to. I don't believe in double standards. If you ask me, every religion in existence preaches tolerance, love, understanding and harmony. However, the _people_ that believe in these religions manage to taint these messages. They manipulate them. Religion, in the wrong hands, is a very dangerous thing and it has been responsible for more deaths than anything else on this planet. Something beautiful can easily be turned into something hateful, judgmental and ruthless by the wrong person. How many people have been killed in the name of religion? Your group is more of the same; a fanatical and excluding group. Nothing more." Sota said, sadly.

"You must speak with His Immaculacy, then." Tenshi stammered. "He can speak better to our ideology than I can." She admitted.

"No, you're doing a great job, Tenshi." Sota complimented. "It's not your words, it's the message. Your leader won't be able to explain this in a way that would make me more inclined to join you." He said, simply.

"But if you just spoke with him…"

"If I spoke to him I could tell him that I am one of The Chosen, but I believe that The Corrupted have a right to occupy this world just as I do. I could also tell him that my family is a family of gifted holy users yet we embrace demons who have good hearts. Hell, my future brother in law is a full demon and he seems to be a nice guy. He makes my sister happy."

Tenshi and Kondo stared at Sota in disbelief.

"What? He _is_ a nice guy." Sota pushed.

"How could you allow a demon…" Kondo stammered, as he pictured Sota's family.

"The word demon has such a negative connotation to it." Sota said, matter of factly. "I prefer unearthly spirit that uses dark energy."

"Disgusting…" Tenshi whispered, as she shook her head.

"Yet killing people is not?"

"We do not kill anyone. We offer redemption. We cleanse the darkness and provide the soul with a path to nirvana."

"Did your victims request any of that?"

"They appear at the holy sites. They appear there to pray for redemption."

"How would you know that?" Sota asked, curiously.

"What else would they be there for?" Tenshi asked, incredulously.

"To give thanks. To pray for the dead and the living. To seek guidance. Many things." Sota said, softly. "And even if they were there to repent, they're not repenting for being born gifted." Sota said, shaking his head. "May I ask how you kill these poor people?"

 _Getting people to attend holy sites is already hard enough, now people have to fear for their lives just for showing up at one? If word of this gets out, already sparse attendance is going to plummet._ He thought, angrily.

"We do not kill, we _release_ …" Tenshi stressed. "… the soul that is bound to the defiled body. We do so when The Corrupted person is bathed within our heavenly light. They feel no pain, only rapture and peace."

"How?" Sota pushed.

"The tainted blood is removed from the body." Kondo supplied. "At least that's what I've heard. I've never had the chance to attend an Absolution Ceremony yet." He said, dejectedly.

"This is correct." Tenshi supplied, in agreement.

"So you bleed the victims while you make them feel high?" Sota simplified.

Tenshi and Kondo just stared at him.

 _Yup. That's pretty much what they do. Shit._ Sota thought.

"What do you do with all of the mess?"

"We collect the impure blood at the time of the bleeding." Tenshi said, honestly.

"Do you save it for a special occasion or something?" Sota asked, incredulously. "Like an American Halloween party or something?"

"No, we send it to Germany, directly to His Immaculacy." Tenshi said, quickly.

"Why?"

"It must somehow be important to him." Tenshi stammered, as she appeared to become lost in thought.

"So you don't even know what he does with it? You just blindly send the guy batches of blood and never once asked any questions as to why?" Sota, snorted. "What about the bodies? Do you send him the bodies too?"

"The bodies are purified upon the soul's departure from this world. There is nothing left except bone and ash."

"Purified how?"

"With fire set to ancient prayer bindings that are lovingly placed around the body."

"So you're not using your purification powers to burn the bodies, then?" Sota asked, thoughtfully.

"Our purification powers do not burn The Corrupted. We must use fire."

"That should tell you something, shouldn't it?" Sota pushed. "If you were meant to battle The Corrupted, your purification powers would harm them, but they don't. You two should take some time to think about that fact."

Tenshi stared at Sota in disbelief. She had been a devoted member of The Order for over twenty years. Within one hour, this man was chipping away at the very foundation of her faith, her very life's purpose.

"I have decided that I don't want to join you. Can you let me leave now? Sota said, quickly.

 _I'm going straight to the police with all of this information the minute I get out of here!_ Sota's mind screamed.

"No. We need more time with which to speak with you." Tenshi said, quickly.

"You can't force me to help you. You said so yourself. Your role is to enlighten me and have me decide a path for myself."

"Yes, but…"

"Tenshi, you have to follow the rules." Sota chided.

"But, don't you want to learn how to use your holy powers?" Tenshi sputtered.

For reasons she could not yet understand, she didn't want to let this man go, just yet.

* * *

"I am so sorry to bother you, General. But, our group is encountering some difficulty in extracting information from the members of The Order." Inquest said quickly, into the phone.

"Explain." Sesshomaru demanded, as he watched the body of Kagome's big white dog exit a plane by means of a stretcher.

"Well, every time we try to hack into their minds or interrogate them, they light up and seem to go into a meditative state. We're not able to reach them while they're like that." Inquest said, hurriedly. "Also, every time that one of our psychics connect with them while they're glowingly meditating, they get pulled into a euphoric trance as well. So far, we haven't been able to get anywhere at all. However, all of our agents that were pulled into this state seem to be in a much better place spiritually when they come out of it. It's been pretty emotional for everyone."

"Then try a different tactic!" Sesshomaru spat, losing his patience with the never ending fiasco that could be defined as his day. "You are the head of the Interrogation department. Interrogate!" He shouted, as he quickly hung up his phone and followed the stretcher over to the hospital.

Upon arriving there, he noted twenty or so agents struggling to restrain twenty dogs. It was utter chaos. At the center of the chaos was none other than the king of chaos himself, agent Frisk.

The agent stupidly waved to him as if to flag him over. It was as though Frisk believed that Sesshomaru would not immediately conclude that the current state of utter canine anarchy would be somehow related to his earlier request of him.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"We're all here!" Frisk shouted to him, as he watched the white stretcher set off into the hospital.

"All agents, get control of your animals and follow me." Sesshomaru ordered, as he too, set off into the hospital.

Once inside, Inuyasha was immediately taken to a side room so that his body could be prepared. Meanwhile, Anatomy frowned as he looked over the twenty aggressive dogs that seemed to be fully out of control in his lobby.

"Are these animals going to allow us to draw their blood? We need to find a match." He said hesitantly, as his concerned eyes drifted over to Sesshomaru.

"Tranquilize them." Sesshomaru said, quickly, refusing to look upon the current state of the lobby.

"We can't. If we do find a match, we can't provide your revived dog with blood that has tranquilizer in it, it could hinder the healing process."

 _For fuck's sake!_ Sesshomaru's mind hissed.

Sesshomaru was so livid that he was vaguely aware that he just used the word 'fuck' for the very first time in his very long life.

Sesshomaru angrily turned on his heel and looked upon the lobby. He took several steps forward until he stood before all of the animals and he growled loudly. The sound was so menacing and dark that all dogs whimpered and immediately sat their asses down upon the floor, staring at him as if waiting for instruction.

"Type them." Sesshomaru called out to Anatomy.

A few seconds passed before several nurses flooded the lobby and began to take samples of the dog's blood.

The entire process took ten minutes and once completed, the nurses retired to a back room to compare all of the blood that they had gathered to Inuyasha's.

"This part is pretty quick." Anatomy whispered, as he appeared at Sesshomaru's side.

True to his words, a nurse quickly appeared with good news. Two of the dogs matched Inuyasha's blood type. Gladiator was one of them.

"Yes!" Frisk shouted triumphantly, as if he had just won the lottery. "You're going to be a hero today, buddy!" He said proudly, as he rubbed Gladiator behind the ear.

The dog appeared uninterested.

As all the other dogs left the lobby, with the exception of the two blood type matches, Frisk approached Sesshomaru.

"Whose dog are we saving?" He asked, curiously.

"None of your concern." Sesshomaru snapped.

"You seem to be having a bad day." Frisk whispered, as he studied him. "You're a bit on edge aren't you?"

Sesshomaru gracefully walked passed him, ignoring him, and set off towards the room that held Inuyasha's body.

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it!" Frisk shouted out after him. "I'm totally booked up, but the Employee Morale Ambassador would be happy to clear his schedule out for you!"

Frisk's words were rewarded by the door to Inuyasha's room slamming in his face.

Frisk smirked and returned to his dog, resigning himself to watch as the nurse filled up a bag of Gladiator's blood.

* * *

"You ready?" Anatomy asked Sesshomaru and his assembled team.

All nodded and the nurses set to work in connecting the bags of blood to the IV needles that had preemptively been inserted into Inuyasha's veins.

Once all seemed to be in order, Anatomy leaned over the animal, his hands glowing in a soft green light.

"You're up, General." He said softly, as he studied the animal on the bed.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath while he unsheathed Tenseiga and approached the bed. He immediately raised his sword over his head and waited for the telltale pulse.

The sword immediately came to life and vibrated in his hands waiting for its master's instructions.

 _Revive this animal, Tenseiga. Bring forth Inuyasha's soul from the afterlife. Bring him back to his precious Kagome._ He gently instructed.

The sword pulsed again, seeming to hesitate.

 _What is it Tenseiga? You must call forth Inuyasha's spirit. Kagome needs him. It is my fault that he was taken from her. I must make amends._

Tenseiga paused for a moment before it began to glow and throb, signaling that it was ready.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes in thanks before he swung the sword over the dead animal's body.

The dog immediately gasped for air.

"He's back!" Anatomy roared, as he placed his hands down against the animal's chest, frantically trying to heal all the damage inflicted by the bullet.

The dog seemed to panic.

"A little help here!" Anatomy shouted.

Sesshomaru instantly flew to his side, meeting the animal's eyes and growling lowly under his breath.

The animal's eyes widened, but it calmed and allowed Anatomy to work on it.

"Must be handy being able to speak to dogs." Anatomy said thoughtfully, as he worked.

Sesshomaru did not respond. Something about the way the animal was looking at him with its defiant golden eyes seemed off putting… and familiar. A little too familiar.

The animal seemed to feel the same way as it looked upon Sesshomaru's face, as if it instantly recognized it... somehow.

* * *

"Can you sense how many people are in there?" Kagome whispered.

"There are three scents out here, one of which is Sota's." Koga answered. "But that doesn't tell me who else is inside the temple."

"Shit. I wish Trace was here." Kagome grumbled.

"Should we spilt up?" Trinity whispered.

"No, not until we know what we're up against." Kagome said quickly. "Fang, you're going to lead us. We'll follow you in single file."

Koga nodded.

"Whatever happens in there, do not split up. If we become engaged in a battle, work together as a team to take down your opponents, not as individuals. Now, ready your weapons."

"Yes, ma'am." Mei whispered, happily.

Kagome smiled. "Military life seems to suit you." She joked.

Mei beamed. "Maybe one day I'll look into it."

Yuu sucked his teeth.

"Let's go." Kagome whispered as Koga took off into the shrine, following his nose towards Sota's scent.

Koga didn't have very far to go, once inside the shrine, he picked up on the scents of the many visitors that had been there throughout the day, but he was only left with the three prominent, and current, scents. The same three scents that he picked up on outside.

"There are only two other people here with Sota. That's it." He whispered, as he pushed along towards the back of the shrine.

"Still, don't let your guard down." Kagome advised, as she followed him.

As their group slowly approached the back of the shrine, they heard the sounds of calm and whispered talking. After taking a few more steps, they noticed Sota sipping tea while engaged in lighthearted conversation with a man and a woman.

Kagome had to take a double take at the absurdity of the situation.

"So then I told him, you can't leave food offerings near the Shinto shrine bells." Sota said, smiling. "Who doesn't know that?!"

The woman in the tea party chuckled.

"Excuse me!" Kagome shouted, in complete disbelief.

All three tea drinkers startled.

"Ka… Wraith!" Sota shouted as he happily ran over to his sister, taking her into a big hug.

As Sota made nice with his sister, he missed the way Tenshi and Kondo stiffened as they recognized all of the members of her retrieval party.

"You!" Tenshi hissed, as she scrambled to get to her feet.

Five Glocks immediately flew in her direction.

Tenshi and Kondo wisely froze yet called forth their holy powers for protection.

"Holy light won't protect against bullets!" Kagome said, knowingly. "Believe me, I learned that the hard way!"

"Hands up." Trinity ordered, as he approached the glowing pair.

Kagome quickly shook Sota off of her and marched over to Tenshi and Kondo.

"You heard him. Hands up." She ordered, as she worked her handcuffs free from her tactical vest.

Kondo and Tenshi's eyes studied Trinity.

"You are one of The Chosen." Kondo said, as he stared at Trinity. "We desperately need your help!" He pleaded.

"Hey! You, too?" Sota said casually, as he came up to Trinity. "I've never met so many holy users in my life."

"Sota, in case you didn't notice, we're working here!" Kagome spat. "Read the situation!"

Sota frowned and got out of the way.

"Still the queen of mean." He grumbled to himself.

His words were rewarded with a sympathetic pat on his shoulder, courtesy of Koga.

Sota brightened as if noticing Koga for the first time, and he did not hesitate to take him into a firm hug. "Good to see you." He said, casually. "Are you going to stick around long enough to meet mom?"

"Sota! Shut up!" Kagome roared.

"Sheesh!" Sota, grumbled.

"That's your soon to be brother in law?" Tenshi asked quickly, as she studied Koga. "The demon."

"Yup!" Sota said, proudly as he smiled.

The action had Koga smiling himself.

Tenshi's eyes flew over to Kagome. "You are a holy user like your brother then, are you not?" She asked, curiously.

Kagome said nothing.

"Why would you give up everything you have just to stand alongside a demon?" She asked, sadly.

Kagome shook her head, refusing to answer her.

"A normal life, happiness, children… so much sacrificed just for the affections of one who commands the darkness."

At this Kagome frowned, seemingly confused, yet she said nothing as she came alongside the woman and made quick work of handcuffing her while Trinity did the same to her partner.

"Are you going to kill us?" Tenshi said, sadly.

"No, we're not. But we should." Kagome said, angrily.

"What will you do with us then?"

"How many members of The Order are left in Japan?" Kagome said quickly, ignoring Tenshi's questions.

"We're it." Kondo said, angrily. "We're all that's left."

"We'll find out how true that is soon enough." Kagome whispered to herself.

"This totally sucked!" Yuu roared, snapping everyone's attention over to him. "I was expecting _some_ action during this retrieval mission. What a massive letdown!" He hissed.

"We had the element of surprise and the numbers." Mei said, quickly. "At least they were smart enough to surrender instead of stupidly throwing their lives away."

"I have a question for you two idiots." Yuu growled, as he approached Tenshi and Kondo. "Why my sister? Why did you pick her?"

Tenshi smiled. "She came to pray at the Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine quite often."

"The shrine? The one she went to for her acting assignments?" Yuu sputtered. "That's how you picked your targets? At places of worship?"

Tenshi sighed. "All those who seek redemption will be redeemed."

"See! That's what you get for mocking the mourners. Ain't karma a bitch!" He chuckled, as he approached his sister and punched her in the arm. "You kind of deserved all of this."

Mei scowled at him and reached for her sword.

"No!" Kagome roared. "No battles with each other. That's an order!"

"Yes, ma'am." Mei said smugly, as she dropped her hand away from her hip.

Kagome sighed and focused on her two new prisoners.

"I want these two searched for weapons. Once done, separate them, one in each car. In the interim, I need to call this in."

The group nodded and Kagome set off towards the cars, her fingers quickly working to dial Sesshomaru.


	21. Chapter 21

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 21

Koga quickly worked to frisk Tenshi, while Trinity did the same with Kondo.

Halfway through the pat down, Koga noticed that the woman he was working on had begun to cry.

 _Whatever. I am so over this mission. If what they say is true, and they really are the last members of The Order here in Japan, we can finally go home!_ He thought happily, to himself. _Then Kagome can put a stop to Inspect's plans of assigning Deception or Bolt to Alpha team… if we're not already too late!_

Koga found himself praying to a higher power that they were somehow able to make it back in time. But, Sota's quick approach to Tenshi's side abruptly interrupted him from his internal thoughts.

"Why are you so upset?" He asked sympathetically, as he patted her shoulder.

"Everything is ruined. My entire life's work is _ruined_!" Tenshi said, sadly. "If I had known that you were connected to the enemy, I never would have told you all that I have. I have betrayed my congregation and all of my brothers and sisters. I have failed them."

"Oh, don't say that. There was no way you could have known. You did your best tonight. You should be proud of that."

Koga shook his head in disbelief.

 _The Higurashi family instinctually try to alleviate the suffering of others, regardless of who they are._ He realized. _Which is_ _a very endearing family trait to have._ He thought, making note that the whole reason behind this secret mission was due to Kagome wanting to do something to help ease Sesshomaru's worry for his family.

"You are too kind." Tenshi sniffled. "I owe you a sincere apology, Sota. I have not been completely forthcoming with you this evening. I have a confession to make. I would like to repent for a very grave sin that I have committed against you."

Sota smiled. "I'm listening."

"I killed your dog." She said, as she diverted her eyes towards the floor. "It attempted to rescue you once again while you were unconscious. It almost succeeded in tearing Kondo's throat out. I made the decision to kill the animal so that I could save Kondo's life." She admitted. "I am so sorry."

Sota's smile instantly faded. "You killed…"

"It's okay, Sota. The dog is not dead." Koga said, quickly. "He survived and is being healed." He half lied.

"That's impossible." Tenshi mumbled. "I shot him in the heart. I saw him die. The animal's soul left its body."

Sota's eyes flew to meet Koga's and he seemed to pick up on the slight lie embedded within his earlier words.

"You're going to try to replace the dog without my noticing, aren't you?" He said, angrily.

"Huh?"

"I fell for that once, when I was a child!" He said vehemently, as his hands shook. "That fish was NOT Bubbles! It wasn't the same fish!" He roared. "Bubbles _never_ went to the vet that day to be healed. The fish that was returned to me was not the same fish. That _wasn't_ Bubbles!"

"Sota…"

"Don't lie to me to spare my feelings! Don't attempt to dupe me as if I were stupid. Christ, you're just like my sister!"

"Sota, the dog really is going to be alright. I swear it!" Koga insisted, as he made a mental note to ask Kagome what the hell she did to Sota's fish.

"If that's the truth then I am thankful." Tenshi whispered. "I pray that it is. However, that dog was dead when we left. If it is somehow able to come back to life, it would be a miracle."

Koga scowled. "I'll have you know that there is one who can perform such miracles and he has promised to do so in this animal's case." He said, smugly.

Both Sota and Tenshi stared up at him in awe.

"And he's a demon, by the way." Koga added intentionally, just to piss Tenshi off.

It worked. The woman's face immediately contorted in disgust.

"A force of darkness could never have the power to restore life. The dog will obviously become a zombie of some sort."

"Nope. The dog will be exactly how it was before it died. Many humans have been revived in this way as well. You may not like it, but one that you consider to be evil actually has the divine power to restore life. It is a power that only one with a compassionate heart can wield." Koga grumbled, remembering Kagome's explanation of how the Tenseiga's powers worked and hating the fact that he was indirectly complimenting Sesshomaru. "That must really burn you up."

In reading the sincerity in his face, Sota took a very deep sigh of relief, allowing himself to believe him.

"Thank God." He said, softly.

Tenshi said nothing.

* * *

"Why the hell isn't he answering?" Kagome thought to herself, as Sesshomaru's phone rang into his voicemail for the ninth time.

 _Something is wrong._ She thought, worriedly.

She was about to give up and turn back into the shrine when her phone rang.

It was Sesshomaru returning her calls.

She quickly answered and updated him on their current situation.

"We've captured two more members of The Order at Tokyo's Nezu Shrine. According to them, they're the last of their group here in Japan. My brother is in my care and he appears to be unharmed. Awaiting orders, Sir." She said, hurriedly.

There was a long pause and Kagome could have sworn she heard gurgled speech in the background.

"Sesshomaru, are you there? Are you alright?" She asked, worriedly.

"No. No, Kagome. I most certainly am _not alright_! I require you to return to base at once!" Sesshomaru growled out, in anger.

As Kagome waited for him to elaborate, the gurgling sound in the background became somewhat louder.

"What is going on?" She demanded.

"Make arrangements to get back to base immediately." He ordered, ignoring her question.

"Uh. Okay. But, what about Mei and Yuu?" She asked, worriedly.

"I need you to oversee their care somehow. I trust in your decision making abilities with this matter." Sesshomaru said, exhaustion and defeat heavily lacing his voice.

It was if the man no longer had the ability to think straight.

"Understood." Kagome said shakily, as her adrenaline began to spike.

At her words, Sesshomaru quickly disconnected the line.

Kagome immediately sprung into action and reentered the shrine.

"We're going back to base." She said quickly, to Trinity and Koga. "Immediately."

Koga visibly brightened in relief while Trinity's expression fell, his face turning in Mei's direction.

Koga happily grabbed both Kondo and Tenshi by their arms and exited the shrine, practically dragging the two prisoners out and over to the cars

"What about us?" Mei said sadly, as she watched Koga disappear.

"Until we get this situation straightened out, we are relocating the two of you. It will be temporary." Kagome said softly, as she remembered Koga's offer to place them with former members of his tribe.

"I want to go with you." Mei said, hurriedly. "Bring us back to your base."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" Yuu said dejectedly, as he approached Kagome and studied her face. "That would be the safest place for us to be."

The possibility that he may never see Wraith again hurt his heart in a way that he couldn't even begin to describe.

"Your life is here." Kagome said honestly, to the siblings. "If I take you with me, your information could fall into the wrong hands and you could become targets at a later time. It would also require a memory wipe in order for me to return you to society. Trust me, you don't want that."

"Our information could fall into the wrong hands?" Yuu repeated. "But, the government knows who we are. That's why they sent you in for our protection, isn't it?"

 _You're too smart for your own good._ Kagome's mind grumbled, as she watched something seem to click in Yuu's mind.

"Who are you people? What is really going on here?" Yuu demanded.

Kagome sighed. "We're part of a global secret organization that works to ensure world peace."

Yuu rolled his eyes. "You're full of shit."

"She's not lying." Trinity said, angrily.

"Give me a break, a secret organization? This isn't a movie!" Yuu roared.

"Who are _you_?" Sota interrupted, stammering as he looked upon Yuu for the first time.

Yuu looked over Wraith's brother. The man was openly gaping at him with a shocked expression.

"Sis…" Sota, stammered.

"I know, Sota."

"But…"

"It's not him." Kagome said, quickly.

Sota's face fell and he sadly walked away.

Yuu scratched his head in frustration. "What the fuck is going on here?!" He spat.

"They just told us, you oaf!" Mei said quickly, as she also approached Kagome. "I have decided that I _still_ want to go to your base. You can wipe my memories if you must upon my return here." She said, simply.

"Mei, have you gone insane?" Yuu roared. "None of this sounds right!"

"No, brother. I am completely sane for what feel like the first time in my life. I want to go to this base. I feel compelled to go."

Kagome sighed and prayed for patience. "You don't seem to understand, Mei. You don't have a choice in this matter. We are dropping you, Sota and Yuu off at the police station. Afterwards, a few friends of ours will be taking care of you and your brother until we can confirm that you are no longer in danger."

Mei frowned and looked over to Trinity as if he could somehow help her.

Trinity looked away.

"Now if you'll excuse me. I have to organize all of this. Please follow me back to the cars." Kagome said, curtly.

The group begrudgingly headed out. Mei and Yuu fell towards the back of the group, arguing in heated whispers.

Once everyone was in the cars, Kagome walked off to the side and dialed Ginta.

"I need a favor." She said, the moment the wolf demon answered the line.

* * *

Ginta checked his watch for what felt like the millionth time.

He was standing outside of the Tokyo police station waiting for the arrival of Kagome and Koga, a missing person, and two gifted individuals that he was to take into hiding.

When he watched Koga's WRX, along with another car, pull off towards the darkened area of the street, he quickly set forth to meet them.

Koga greeted him with a big smile and Kagome took him in a warm hug.

"Thank you for doing this." She whispered, as she released him. "I owe you one."

"Anything for you, sister Kagome." Ginta whispered back. "Annika and I are happy to help."

"I must warn you. The sibling named Yuu looks just like Inuyasha. Try not to react to that when you see him. Also, he and his sister are strongly gifted and sometimes difficult. I am hoping that I only need to leave them in your care for a short period of time."

"Understood." Ginta said thoughtfully, as he worked to process all of this information. "Annika or I will call if we encounter any difficulties."

Koga quickly passed his keys over to Ginta. "You'll take care of her again for me, right?" He requested, pointing to his car.

"Yup." Ginta said quickly, as he watched one of the passengers exit out of it. His eyes immediately studied the kidnapped young man that his police force had been tracking that night.

"You need to come with me." He said quickly, as Sota approached him. "Your mother is inside giving us a statement. She is so desperately worried about you."

Sota nodded to him and offered him his hand. "So, sorry about all of the trouble." He said, remorsefully.

Ginta studied his features.

 _He looks just like Kagome._ He thought to himself, as his eyes quickly flew over to her direction for comparison.

As if reading his intentions, Kagome quickly turned away and walked off, quickly grabbing her phone and making a call.

"Would it be so terrible if you were able to sneak my mom out here?" Sota questioned, as he watched Kagome wander far away.

Ginta hesitated.

"Please! I promise that I'll go right back inside with her so that you can get my statement. I just need to speak with her alone for a moment."

"Sure." Ginta said, hesitantly. "I'll be right back." He said, as he took off.

"Where is he going?" Koga asked, as he watched Ginta disappear.

"He's going to bring Mom out here." Sota said, happily.

"What? Why?" Koga sputtered.

"She'll want to see her." He whispered, as he pointed to Kagome. "And she'll want to meet you, too. I told her about you."

Koga didn't know why, but for some reason he suddenly felt absolutely sick.

"Go." Sota said, as he motioned to the area that Kagome was hiding in to make her phone call. "I'll meet you over there."

Koga just stared at him, frozen.

"You'll be fine. My mom's cool. She'll like you." Sota said sympathetically, as he tried not to laugh at Koga's horrified expression.

Koga blinked.

"Is this your first time meeting a woman's mother?" Sota asked, incredulously.

Koga frowned.

 _It is._ Sota realized, as he bit his lip against the laughter that was threatening to escape his throat.

"Aren't you like… a million years old?" Sota, whispered. "How have you never met a girlfriend's parents?"

"Shut up." Koga hissed.

Sota felt his mother coming towards him.

"Just be yourself." He whispered. "Now go over to my sister. Mom's coming and you'll want some privacy over there." He said dismissively, as he turned to face the direction of the police station.

Koga could hear Mrs. Higurashi's heels on the pavement quickly pick up in pace. The sound jolted him and he forced himself to walk over in Kagome's direction.

As he approached, he saw his mate hang up her phone call and take a deep breath.

"A helicopter is going to provide us with transport to a plane that will bring us back to base. I had to tell Inspect that we ran into Tenshi and Kondo by accident and we apprehended them. Trinity's on record as being here to train me during this vacation, so he's accounted for as well. He'll come back with us and we'll arrange transport to deliver him back to Canada in a few days or so." She said, hurriedly.

As she finished, Koga watched her head sway harshly to the left as if picking up on a familiar and most missed person.

"Kagome?!" Came a hushed whisper.

Koga could smell the woman's tears.

"Mom?" Kagome whispered, as she ran over to the woman that was closing in on their space in the dark.

Koga watched as the woman grabbed her daughter in a bone crunching hug and swung her around from side to side.

Sota was standing behind her proudly smiling to himself.

"First Sota... and now _you_!" Mom, said happily. "I can't believe it. I never thought I would see you again." She cried.

"I missed you so much." Kagome whispered to her. "You have no idea how often I think of you."

"Believe me, I think I know." Kagome's mom chuckled, as she released her daughter and examined her face. "Sota wasn't exaggerating, you really have become so beautiful, Kagome."

"You should see her when she's all dressed up." Sota said smugly, from behind.

"I can imagine." Mom said, sweetly as she looked over Kagome's shoulder and made eye contact with the man that was hiding in the shadows. "I won't bite." She said softly, to the figure in the dark. "I want to see my future son in law's face, please."

Koga took a sharp intake of air and took only one step forward. He felt completely awkward and uncomfortable. He was thankful that he happened to meet Sota by accident, as there wasn't any pressure during that encounter. However right now, he was knowingly meeting the head of his mate's 'pack'. Having the approval of the parents was a very big deal to humans and he didn't want to somehow disappoint.

Kagome chuckled at Koga's frozen position and walked over to him, taking him by the hand and gently pulling him forward so that her mom could take a good look at him.

Kagome's mom didn't bother to size him up. She instead quickly stepped forward and took Koga into a warm hug.

"I am so happy to meet you, Koga. Welcome to our little family." She said genuinely, into his chest.

Koga forced himself to take a deep breath and he returned the woman's hug.

"Thank you." He said, softly. "I promise to protect your daughter. I swear this to you on my pride, on my very blood."

Mom chuckled. "I believe it." She replied, as she loosened her grip on him and looked up at his face. "My, aren't you the handsome one?" She said sweetly, as she reached up and pinched his cheek.

Koga felt his face heat.

"Awww, he's actually blushing, Sis."

Koga refused to look in Kagome's direction. He could hear her laughing at him.

"Don't let those two embarrass you." Mom whispered, as she fully released him and smiled brightly up at him. "They both embarrass quite easily as well."

Koga's brows furrowed in confusion and Mom winked at him.

"This is the man that used to cause all of those problems between you and Inuyasha." Mom, said loudly. "Isn't he, Kagome?"

Kagome stopped laughing and frowned.

"You used to go to your room and _cry_ like it was the end of the world." She continued in dramatic fashion, as she smiled at Koga. "Do you remember those days, Kagome?"

"I _didn't_ cry!" Kagome spat, as her face got as red as a tomato.

 _Well played_. Koga thought to himself as he smiled at Kagome's mother, flashing his perfectly white and fanged teeth as he did so.

Mom smiled back before turning to address her daughter.

"So when's the wedding?" She demanded.

"Huh? We can't really get married, Mom. Koga and I don't exist, remember?" Kagome said, sadly.

"I could marry you." Sota said, quickly. "Real names and everything." He continued. "Of course it won't be documented in any legally binding way, but I could perform the ceremony. Just tell me when and consider it done. I'll close down the shrine and everything."

Kagome brightened for a moment before her face fell. "I'm not allowed to go anywhere near you guys. Ever."

"Find a way." Mom ordered. "I want to see my children marry before I die."

"Mom!" Sota said, his tone horrified. "Please don't say stuff like that."

"I'll figure something out." Kagome promised. "I have a favor coming my way soon. I might be able to swing it."

Mom and Sota smiled.

"That's my girl!" Mom said, proudly. "And after the wedding we can broach the subject of grandchildren." She said, quickly.

Her comment, which was made in good fun, was rewarded by a scolding look from her son.

"Don't." Sota whispered, harshly.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Mom said, taken aback.

"Mom, stop talking." Sota demanded.

Mrs. Higurashi seemed confused. "But, I was only teasing." She said, attempting to clarify.

Kagome was about to ask what Sota was hiding from them when her phone pinged, signaling that the helicopter would be sent out to retrieve her in fifteen minutes.

"Mom, I'm so sorry, but I have to go." She said quickly, as she once again took her mother in a hug.

"Take care of yourself and of Koga." She whispered to her. "I can't wait to see you both again."

"I'll come back. I promise." Kagome said softly, as she released her.

Koga stepped forward and also took Mom in a hug, saying goodbye.

"Go and make me proud, son." She whispered to him.

For some reason the comment actually made Koga want to do so. "I will." He promised, as he headed back towards the cars.

"Be aware that a team of my people will be hanging around the shrine. They're there to protect you." Kagome said, over her shoulder.

Sota and his mother nodded.

"Good to know." Sota replied as he watching his sister head back over towards the parked cars.

"The Higurashi's will be right back." Kagome whispered as she approached Ginta, thankful that he didn't know her last name.

Ginta nodded.

"I've already introduced myself to those two." Ginta said, as he looked over at the Ishii siblings that were now waiting in the back of Koga's car. "I'm familiar with the sister. My people responded to a break in on her property a few days ago. She killed the intruder."

"She's a handful." Kagome admitted. "But she seems to be changing her ways."

"You'll be taking the other two?" Ginta whispered, as his eyes flew over to the two tied up people that were seated in the back of Trinity's car.

"Yup. Prisoners." Kagome said, quickly.

Ginta nodded and took off towards Koga's car, opening the door to the backseat so that he could address the Ishii siblings.

"I have to take Sota inside so that he can give a statement. I'll be right back. Please wait for me here."

"Will do." Yuu grumbled.

"Thanks." Ginta said happily, as he shut the door and approached Sota and his mother who were walking in his direction.

As Ginta, Sota and Mom passed them, Kagome and Trinity took their places within Trinity's car, resigning themselves to watch Koga transfer their luggage over from his trunk over to Trinity's trunk.

In a few minutes time, they heard the trunk of their car close and watched as Koga descended into the driver's seat.

"What the fuck did you pack?" Koga growled, as he looked over at Trinity. "You're just like a woman."

"Maybe you should hit the gym a little more often." Trinity grumbled.

Koga didn't respond, he instead started the engine and slowly took off, making his way to the coordinates that Kagome had provided him with earlier.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched on as Kagome's dog struggled to use its vocal chords; attempting to force a voice box that was never designed to speak a human language to somehow do so.

"Sess…"

Sesshomaru sucked his teeth and glared at his sword. He had attempted to use it several times to ask it what the hell had happened, but it refused to speak to him.

 _It is probably in fear that I might break it once again._ He thought angrily to himself.

"ho… maru"

 _This dog is somehow familiar with me._ He thought, bewilderedly to himself. _It is literarily trying to converse with me at present._

None of this was making any sense. He wanted to get up and leave, but he couldn't abandon Kagome's animal. It was his sworn duty to protect it.

"Nurse." Sesshomaru called out, to the man that had entered the room to check on the dog's vitals. "How much longer must this animal stay here?" He demanded.

"Anatomy healed him up pretty well. The dog seems perfectly healthy. But, as you know, Anatomy does prefer to keep his patients here under observation for some time after you revive them."

"I am taking him back with me." Sesshomaru advised.

"General, Sir. I can't let you do that without Anatomy's clearance."

Sesshomaru stared at the man and narrowed his eyes.

The nurse immediately took several steps backwards. "No problem." He said, shakily. "You're the boss!" He continued, as he flew over to the dog and removed its saline I.V. bag.

Sesshomaru bent down and slung the animal over his shoulder, making quick work of marching out of the hospital with him and towards his office.

"Sess… ho… maru?"

"Why can you speak?" Sesshomaru whispered curiously to the animal, as he crossed the grounds. "Are you truly a dog?"

"Wow! That dog can talk?!"

Sesshomaru's hurried and graceful gait immediately halted. He had been so enthralled by the animal's attempt at speech that he didn't notice the scent that was blowing around in the air.

"Go somewhere else." Sesshomaru demanded, without turning around to address the speaker.

"Where would you have me go?" Frisk grumbled.

Sesshomaru was about to tell him to go to hell, when a thought occurred to him.

"Go to the Interrogation department's floor. Tell them you are there on my orders. Assist them in breaking into the memories of any one of the prisoners that were captured from The Order. Their usual interrogational tactics haven't been working. Your unique abilities may be able to help them." He said, coldly. "This is a most important matter."

"Sweet!" Frisk chirped, as he began to jog towards the office building.

* * *

"Shit!" Ginta roared as he tried for the millionth time to call Koga and Kagome. "They must be in the air. I can't get through!"

 _I should have called when they first went missing._ He thought, worriedly to himself. _Not two hours later!_

He had lost the Ishii siblings.

When he first exited the police station after dropping Sota and his mother off in the care of his detectives, the two siblings were no longer sitting in the back of Koga's car.

He immediately took off in search of them, hoping that he could somehow find them without incident. But, one hour passed without any luck and he was forced to call into the station, quickly giving orders to all of his active officers to be on the lookout for any people matching their descriptions.

"Koga is going to fucking kill me!" He whispered worriedly to himself, as he drove frantically around with his window open, hoping he could somehow catch their scents somewhere.

 _I was only gone for five minutes. Where the hell could they have gone?!_

* * *

Kagome checked her phone the moment she set foot onto her base's runway.

 _What? Twenty voice messages?_ She thought, worriedly to herself.

She was so busy listening to the messages that she missed Koga bolt out of the plane and kiss the ground of the runway in celebration. While he did so, Trinity made quick work of leading their two prisoners out of the plane and onto the runway in the background.

When Trinity passed him, Koga sprung to his feet and quickly walked over to him.

"Remember, the story. We were at that shrine practicing purification techniques with Wraith. We just so happened to come upon these two. Mention nothing of Sota." Koga whispered in the smallest of voices, into Trinity's ear.

Trinity nodded. "But what about these two? They could blow our cover." He whispered in reply, as he eyed Tenshi and Kondo.

"Wraith will have the General take care of that part." He said quickly, as he watched two members of the Interrogation department slowly approach them.

"Those two are to be separated and go into isolation." Kagome ordered, as she quickly approached. "No one is to interrogate them unless the General is present. Those are _his_ orders."

"Yes, ma'am." One of the agents confirmed, as he and his partner took Tenshi and Kondo away.

"I'm so glad this is all over with!" Koga roared, as picked Kagome up and spun her around.

"Fang, put me down! We have a major problem!" She spat.

"Oh, no! What the hell is it, now?" Koga said angrily, as he gently lowered Kagome back to her feet.

"Have you checked your phone at _all_? Ginta's been trying to contact us. He lost the Ishii siblings!"

"No. Fucking. Way." Koga growled in disbelief.

"You must be kidding!" Trinity spat. "This is unbelievable. How could he lose them?"

"Because we are… HERE!" Mei shouted triumphantly at the top of her lungs, from her place at the doorway of the plane.

She looked as though she just discovered new land.

Kagome, Koga and Trinity's jaws dropped in absolute shock.

No one could manage to say anything at all.

They all witnessed as Yuu stumbled forth in the background, behind Mei. His foot was stuck in Trinity's suitcase and he was attempting to shake the blasted luggage away with angry and rough kicking motions.

"They… hid in the luggage?" Kagome said, stupidly.

"When?" Koga whispered, utterly in shock. "They were both sitting in the car before I transferred the suitcases."

"They were sitting in the car for how long before you moved the luggage, Fang? The seats in your WRX fold down in the back and give access to the trunk."

"Impossible." Koga muttered.

"They folded down the seats and hid in the luggage in the trunk. We brought them here." Kagome said, softly.

 _This is all a bad dream and soon I will wake up._ She thought wishfully to herself. _How the hell am I supposed to tell Sesshomaru about this?!_ Her mind screamed.

* * *

Sesshomaru stared at canine Inuyasha in disbelief.

After the past hour of practicing its speech, the dog had managed to tell him that he was actually his dead brother. He also wanted to know what had happened to him and what he was doing in a dog's body.

Sesshomaru had always imagined his final reunion with Inuyasha to be a much different one. He imaged green fields and golden sun, the promise of peace and joy within the air. Rin would be at his one side and his idiotic brother, attempting to pick a fight, would be at his other.

Nothing could prepare him for this.

"Tenseiga… made a mistake." Sesshomaru said dumbly, as he stared into his brother's angry eyes.

 _How to explain this?_ Sesshomaru thought, becoming exasperated.

He was almost grateful when his phone rang and provided him with a momentary distraction.

 _Kagome?_ He thought hopefully, as he quickly looked at the caller I.D.

"Yes?" He said quickly, into the phone.

"We have a BIIIIIIIIIIIG problem!" Kagome said hurriedly, into the phone.

"I agree." He said coldly, as he stared at the dog that sat at his feet. "A very large problem indeed."

Kagome paused for a moment, attempting to decipher his meaning, before she gave up and pushed along with speaking.

"I need you to come to the runway. NOW!" She ordered. "The Ishii siblings hid away in our luggage. They're on the fucking base!" She spat.

Sesshomaru froze as he tried to process this. After a moment or two, his body got with the program.

"You _must_ hide yourself in here." He quickly told the dog. "I will return soon and will somehow rectify this situation." He said hurriedly, as he exited his office and locked the door behind him.

 _This is all one bad dream and soon I shall wake up._ He tried to assure himself, as he took off to the base's runway.

He got to the runway in five minutes, which should have been a new record.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He roared, as he witnessed his three agents staring dumbly up at his grandchildren that happened to be occupying the doorway of the plane.

All three agents looked at him, but weren't able to offer him any explanation.

Sesshomaru felt his blood boil.

"How could you allow this to happen?!" He shouted, as his claws extended from the tips of his fingers and his eyes became a bright and angry red.

"We told them they couldn't come." Trinity stammered, as he began to do the sign of the cross. "They hid in our luggage. We didn't know…"

Sesshomaru marched forward, ignoring him, as he headed towards his incorrigible descendants.

He swiftly walked up the stairs to the plane and grabbed each of them roughly by the ear. Once he had them each in a firm hold, he promptly dragged them back down the stairs, across the runway, and over in the direction of his office.

Mei and Yuu stumbled to keep up with him.

"Good. Let him finally deal with those two idiots!" Koga spat, shaking his head.

He sucked his teeth when he noticed Kagome take off after them.

"I'll see you at home!" He called out to her, not willing to take any further action on account of this secret mission from hell.

"What about me?" Trinity said, as he came to Koga's side.

Koga sighed. "I'll give you a brief tour of the base and get you set up with an apartment for a couple of days until you're able to get out of here."

"I plan on staying out the full week. My official mission was always to train Wraith in the use of her holy powers, and we've barely scratched the surface over the passed two days. I don't intend on abandoning my original objective."

"She'd probably be happy to know that you'll stick around to help her." Koga admitted, as he motioned for Trinity to follow him. "After everything that Sota told us about The Order on the car ride over to the police station, R.O.O.T is going to have a great, big battle coming their way. If Wraith really is one of The Celestial, like you say she is, she's probably going to be sent in to take down His Immaculacy." He said, worriedly.

* * *

"How could you have allowed this to happen?" Sesshomaru roared, as Kagome struggled to keep up with him.

"They duped us!" She said, on a huff. "They were supposed to go into protective care. They even agreed to it!" She said, angrily. "Then they hid away in the luggage before we took off to meet the helicopter."

Sesshomaru released his hold on Yuu's ear only for a moment so that he could unlock his office door. The moment the lock turned over, he snatched it back up again and dragged his problematic grandchildren into the room.

Kagome smartly closed the door behind them.

"You brats have been nothing but trouble!" Sesshomaru growled, as he released his grandchildren. "Nothing but pure chaos!" He roared.

Mei and Yuu at least had the decently to cower before him and divert their eyes to the floor.

"These two must have their memories erased immediately. We shall then smuggle them off of the base."

Kagome sighed. "Should I call Mystic now, then?"

"Permission to speak, Sir." Mei interrupted, respectfully.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed for a moment while he regarded her.

"No." He said, coldly.

"This is an organization that works towards world peace, is it not?" Yuu said, in her stead.

Sesshomaru ignored him.

"We'd like to join." Yuu pushed, as he chanced a glance up in Sesshomaru's direction.

"Absolutely not." Sesshomaru spat.

"Why?" Mei said angrily, picking her face up and glaring at him. "We have much that we can offer this organization. We are very powerfully gifted individuals. We can help!"

"No."

"Why?" Mei pushed.

"Because I said so!" Sesshomaru angrily roared.

"That's not a real reason!" Mei huffed.

 _Shit. Sesshomaru really was a parent once upon another life._ Kagome thought to herself. _I haven't heard the 'because I said so' line since I was a teenager._

"At least allow us to do a trial run." Yuu said, quickly.

"Enrollment into this organization is by invitation only." Sesshomaru quipped. "Neither of you has been invited. You both have been blessed with wealth and influence within the real world. Live in that world and enjoy it. You do not belong _here_."

"We are adults. We want to do this." Mei said, honestly. "If I have to spend one more day living in that bland and cold environment that encompasses 'high society', I will lose my mind. I was meant to do more with my life than get my nails done and attend social events. I have powerful gifts. I should be using them to help people!"

Kagome's eyes widened.

 _Good for you, Mei._ She thought to herself, feeling a newfound sense of respect for the woman.

Sesshomaru shook his head in disbelief. "What about you?" He said, turning to Yuu. "You have a good career and the highest of education. You are a genius. Why would you want to throw all of that hard work away to fight in secret wars?"

"I wouldn't be throwing anything away. I could be using my skills and intellect to help others. It beats sitting at a desk and making calculations all day. I was destined for so much more than that."

There was a long and stifling pause.

"We're not truly living the way we are now, Sir." Mei said, softly.

"That may be true, but at least you are safe." Sesshomaru huffed.

"A caged bird only _exists_ for the pleasure of its owners. But a bird that can fly _lives_ because it is free." Kagome mumbled to herself.

Sesshomaru scowled in her direction.

"If Rin were standing in your shoes, what would she do?" Kagome whispered gently, as she met his eyes.

Sesshomaru felt his heart clench as he imagined her standing before them.

"Rin would have wanted them to truly live." Came a hoarse voice from under Sesshomaru's desk. "Just like she once did."

Sesshomaru squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

He had completely forgotten all about Inuyasha.

"Who the _hell_ was that?!" Kagome screamed, as she clutched her heart. "Is someone hiding under your desk?" She asked, horrified.


	22. Chapter 22

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 22

"General, what the hell is going on?!" Kagome demanded, with an utmost level of urgency.

Sesshomaru stared at the backs of his tightly closed lids.

 _Soon, I will wake up._ He thought to himself, patiently waiting for such a ridiculous thing to actually occur.

"Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru sighed.

"Yuu and Mei, I would ask that you wait outside the door, but it is most obvious to me that you are both truly, and utterly, incapable of following directions." Sesshomaru said coldly, as he picked up his phone and buzzed his secretary.

Umi appeared a few seconds later.

"Yes, General?"

"I would like you to escort my guests to the secure conference room across the hall. I would request that you guard them until I give you further instruction, Umi."

The petite, red headed woman nodded and motioned Mei and Yuu to the door.

"Before you leave, I would like to inform you that Umi has a very precious and unique ability." Sesshomaru advised. "Not only is she my most trusted and valuable secretary, but she, and she _alone_ , reserves the _sole_ privilege of guarding the only entranceway into my office. This responsibility serves a very valid purpose…"

Both Mei and Yuu regarded Umi as Sesshomaru spoke. The woman was small in size and appeared to be overly cheerful. She looked to be in her forties and her hair was tied tightly into a french twist. She wore square framed glasses and a stylish business suit. She looked more like a librarian than a guard by any stretch of the imagination.

"If you so much as give her one reason to perceive you as a threat, she can, and will, stop your heart from beating within your chest. It is an instant kill and it only requires a single thought on her part." Sesshomaru said, calmly. "Therefore, I suggest that you follow _all_ of Umi's instructions and _behave_." He warned.

Mei and Yuu gulped.

"Come on now, please don't be shy." Umi said sweetly, as she turned and left the room.

The Ishii siblings scrambled to follow her.

The moment they were out of sight, Kagome calmly closed the door.

Sesshomaru sighed.

 _How to explain this?_ He wondered to himself.

He truly had just had the day from hell and his mind was no longer in its usual apex condition at the moment.

"The Tenseiga made a most grave error when I attempted to revive your beloved dog." He started, diverting his eyes. "I requested that the sword bring forth the soul of Inuyasha. However, it brought back the incorrect Inuyasha." He huffed.

"Huh?"

"My brother." He snapped. "It brought back the soul of my brother and placed it within your dog." He clarified, as he ran a clawed hand through his thick, white tresses.

Kagome's eyes widened and her features twisted as if thoroughly confused.

"See for yourself." Sesshomaru said sternly, as he stepped away from his desk. "He is concealing himself under there."

"Hell no! I DO NOT want her to see me like this!" The hoarse voice croaked, from beneath the desk.

"You do not have a choice!" Sesshomaru spat, impatiently.

"Fix me first!" The voice growled out.

Sesshomaru chanced a glance over at Kagome and noticed that she hadn't moved a single inch. Nor had she blinked. Actually, she seemed to go very pale.

Realization clicked into place just in the nick of time, and Sesshomaru flew over to her right before she fainted, swiftly catching her in his arms.

"Kagome, you are not well." He whispered, as he gently lowered her onto the floor and tried to sit her upright, supporting her back as he did so.

"What's happening out there?!" Inuyasha croaked.

"She fainted." He said, angrily. "All because you decided to create this state of tomfoolery!"

"How the fuck is this MY fault?" Inuyasha spat, as he ran out from underneath Sesshomaru's desk.

The moment Inuyasha spotted Kagome, he did not hesitate to run her side.

"Kagome!" He said urgently, as he placed his head down against her heart. "Her pulse is weak, Sesshomaru. You need to do something!"

"She will be fine, you fool. Give her a moment, she is already coming to."

"Kagome? Kagome, can you hear me?" Inuyasha said urgently, as he took several deep pulls of her scent.

"Inu… yasha?" Kagome sputtered, as the room began to come back into focus.

The moment her hearing returned and her breathing regulated, she turned her head to look upon him.

He was staring at her with large and frightened eyes. After a few moments, he appeared to remember the physical state that he was in, and he forcibly tore his eyes away from hers, focusing them on the floor in shame instead.

"Is it really you?" Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha said nothing.

"Yes, it is him." Sesshomaru said, impatiently.

"So my dog…"

"Your dog's soul is on the other side. I have to find a way with which to switch it."

"HEY!" Inuyasha barked out. "You're going to _kill_ me? I just got here!"

"I am not going to _kill_ you! I am going to _replace_ you. You don't belong here. Not like this."

"Get me a new body!" Inuyasha angrily retorted.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Kagome whispered softly to herself, as the brothers began to argue on either side of her. "None of this is real."

"I am still waiting to wake up." Sesshomaru huffed, as he shook his head in frustration.

"Me too." Inuyasha grumbled. "This sucks!"

Kagome took a deep breath and reached her hand out, stroking Inuyasha's soft white fur.

The action made Inuyasha cringe.

Kagome sucked her teeth and grabbed his collar, pulling the man/dog into her arms and hugging him tightly to her chest.

"I'm so sorry this happened." She whispered. "I swear, you have the worst damn luck. You always had the worst fucking lot in life."

Inuyasha frowned and closed his eyes. "Even when dead, I can't catch a fucking break." He agreed.

Several minutes passed as Kagome held Inuyasha in this way, while supported by the hold of Sesshomaru's strong arm around her back.

It was quite the group hug.

"Looks like you're having quite the family reunion today." Kagome mumbled to Sesshomaru, who was quietly kneeling beside her.

"Hm." He agreed.

"Who else is here?" Inuyasha grumbled curiously, behind closed lids.

"Your fourth generation great nephew and great niece were just in here asking to join our organization." Kagome said softly, into his fur.

"The one named, R.O.O.T, right?" Inuyasha remembered. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Nope. Sesshomaru's grandkids. Only, they don't know they're his grandkids." Kagome advised.

"Why not?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "It is for their protection."

"Rin wouldn't like that." Inuyasha whispered.

"How _is_ Rin?" Sesshomaru asked, softly.

"She misses you. She doesn't ever shut up about you." Inuyasha said, honestly. "After a few decades, it's become incredibly annoying."

Stretched silence drifted over the room as all its occupants lost themselves within their private thoughts.

"You named your dog after me." Inuyasha said softly, breaking the silence, as he nuzzled into Kagome's chest. "I'm pretty honored."

Sesshomaru almost snorted. "You _would_ find such an idiotic gesture to be flattering."

"Rin, named a dog after me too, jackass."

"It was idiotic when she did it was well." Sesshomaru said, thoughtfully.

"What are you going to do about your grandkids?" Inuyasha growled, attempting to change the subject while enjoying his current relaxed state within Kagome's arms.

"I haven't decided."

"Let them live life on their own terms." Inuyasha instructed. "Just like you did."

"I do not remember asking for your opinion, brother."

"What are we going to do about _you_?" Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's fur.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"You should take him home with you." Sesshomaru teased, fully smirking. "I'm sure Inuyasha would feel most comfortable staying with you until we can resolve this matter."

He did not miss Kagome's sharp intake of breath at his suggestion.

"I can't. You know I can't do that." She said, angrily. "Do you want to start a war?"

"War is something I excel at." Sesshomaru said, aloofly.

"No kidding." Kagome quipped.

"Afraid I'll kill your precious, _Koga_?" Inuyasha growled, as the fur on the back of his neck immediately rose in anger.

Kagome sighed. "Here we go. Thanks, Sesshomaru. I really appreciate it."

Sesshomaru chuckled as he released her from his hold and rose to his feet.

"Don't worry, Kagome. I'm in no rush to let that asshole see me while… I'm like this." Inuyasha grumbled, dejectedly.

"Don't tell him." Sesshomaru instigated as he walked back over to his desk. "It would be most amusing that way."

"Stop causing trouble!" Kagome spat, as she too got to her feet.

"Speaking of trouble." Sesshomaru replied. "Were you able to gather any additional information about The Order?"

"Yes, actually. While they had my brother, they told him their entire story. Apparently, they follow a man called His Immaculacy. He is a celestial being with God like holy power and he is stationed in Germany. Every time they sacrifice one of the gifted, their congregations send him vats of the victim's blood."

"That's gross." Inuyasha spat.

"For what purpose?" Sesshomaru asked, curiously.

"They don't know. They never once asked."

"What else did they tell you?"

Kagome took a breath and recounted the entire story that Tenshi had told to Sota.

* * *

"So this is where you'll stay." Koga said tiredly, as he walked Trinity over to his temporary apartment. "You're in the same building as I am, so if you need anything, I'm on the eighth floor. Take a right out of the elevator and I'm at the apartment at the end of the hall."

"Thanks. I appreciate all of your help, Fang." Trinity said sadly, as he swiped his guest keycard across the locking mechanism of the door.

The locked turned over with a loud clicking sound.

"Don't mention it." Koga said, as he studied him. "Try not to worry about, Mei. Wraith is pretty awesome at straightening things out."

Trinity sighed. "Are my feelings for her that obvious?"

"Well… yea. You've been moping around ever since we left Japan."

"Fang… how did you know that Wraith was _the one_?" He asked innocently, as he stared at the floor.

Koga was taken aback by the abrupt question.

 _This guy really is just like a woman._ He thought, grumpily to himself.

"I knew it almost immediately." He admitted. "Within a day of meeting her."

Trinity brightened. "That makes me feel so much better. Now I don't feel like a complete lunatic about my feelings." He said, quickly.

"Find a way to make it work." Koga said, simply. "I know she's a civilian and all. So, you're going to have your work cut out for you. But, I'm sure you can figure something out."

"Is that how you and Wraith approach your issues?" Trinity, chuckled.

"Yea. We do. We always work through them. We always find a way." Koga said, as he began to turn away.

"Is that how you deal with the family issue?" Trinity mumbled, before he could stop himself.

As the words left his lips and Koga's eyes narrowed, he immediately cursed himself.

"What family issue?" Koga growled, as he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Nothing. It's getting late. I'm going to go to bed." Trinity said dismissively, as he opened the door to his apartment. "I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow. Until then, have a good night, Fang."

"What. Family. Issue?" Koga repeated angrily, as he reached out and grabbed the door's knob, slamming the door closed and preventing Trinity from any means of escape.

"The subject of children." Trinity said, quickly.

 _They probably didn't want any children anyway._ His mind chided. _Many couples don't. Why would you assume that they did? You're such an idiot, Trinity._

"If you don't tell me what the fuck you are talking about, I'm going to hurt you." Koga warned.

 _He doesn't know? Christ, Trinity. What the fuck were you thinking?_

"I don't feel comfortable speaking about this." Trinity admitted.

Koga gently wrapped his hand around Trinity's throat and slowly lifted him up, bumping his back into the wall and holding him there.

"Wrong answer." Koga whispered, menacingly.

"You and Wraith can't have kids. You do know that, don't you?" Trinity whispered. "You are a full demon and she is a holy user… a very powerful one at that. More powerful than you…"

"If you don't start making sense within thirty seconds, I am going to beat the ever loving shit out of you." Koga growled.

"Wraith's soul purifies demonic energy." Trinity sputtered, as he willed his mouth to speak quickly. "How would a child with such a high concentration of your demonic blood survive within her body?" He choked out.

Koga immediately dropped him.

"I thought you both knew." Trinity wheezed, as he rubbed his throat. "Just think it through. It's not possible."

Koga couldn't hear him. All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart within his ears and the memories of Tenshi and Sota's recent words.

 _"Why would you give up everything you have just to stand alongside a demon? …A normal life, happiness, children… so much sacrificed just for the affections of one who commands the darkness."_

 _"And after the wedding we can broach the subject of grandchildren."_

 _"Don't." Sota whispered, harshly._

 _"What? Did I say something wrong?"_

 _"Mom, stop talking."_

Koga felt all the air leave his lungs.

 _It was obvious to all of the other holy users… all of them, except for Kagome._

"Fang, are you alright? Why don't you come in and sit down? I am so sorry. I thought you both knew." Trinity sputtered. He had never felt so guilty in his entire life.

Koga didn't even seem to notice that his eyesight, for some reason, had become somewhat blurry.

"Fang, please. Just come inside and talk to me. I'm sure there are plenty of options out there. You could always adopt. There are so many children out there that are in need of good and loving homes! And you could certainly get a non-holy user surrogate to carry the child, too." He pushed, desperate to somehow ease him.

Koga's aura was the deepest shade of purple with murky hues of green, and Trinity could see the pained colors as well as feel the man's sadness wafting over him.

Koga, much like a zombie, stumbled to turn around. He then shakily made his way down the hall and over to the elevator, using the wall of the hallway for support.

"Fang, wait!" Trinity shouted, debating on whether or not he should go after him.

"I want to be left alone." Koga hissed, making the decision for him.

* * *

 _Looks like R.O.O.T is going to have two new members._ Kagome thought to herself in relief, as she made her way to her apartment.

Today honestly felt like the longest day of her life.

As Kagome walked along, she was immediately engulfed within her, and Koga's, shared spiritual connection.

For some reason, the link which had always provided her with so much joy and comfort, now flooded her with foreboding and distress. The feeling was so strong that it momentarily stole her breath away.

 _What the fuck is going on?_ She thought, as she fought to compose herself. She didn't know why, but tears had begun to flood into her eyes.

She quickly straightened and focused on Koga's spiritual energy while summoning her tracking powers. A thick cord of energy instantly materialized and sprung forth, threading a trail over to her apartment building.

 _Why is this randomly happening right now?_ She wondered, as she hurried to her building. _I didn't initiate this connection._

When she entered the elevator, a most sobering thought occurred to her.

 _Koga's soul is reaching out to ME right now._ She realized. _He somehow managed to connect… to me. But how can that be possible?_ She questioned, as she fought against her mate's current feelings of grief. _This shouldn't be possible._ She thought, nervously.

It had been slowly becoming apparent to Kagome that she could no longer discredit Koga's evolving ability to tap into her spiritual powers. Since her soul blended with his, almost a year ago, her powers had slowly evolved, along with his ability to sense and somehow manipulate them.

When they had first become intimate with one another and her soul bound itself to his, he had suddenly become able to sense her tracking powers shortly thereafter. Lately, that ability had apparently grown to another level. Koga had recently started alluding to the fact that he could, on occasion, see her invisible energy cord for brief periods of time.

And that wasn't even the half of it.

After he had revived her from the dead and gifted her with his time, she had unknowingly become able to spiritually connect with him; something that seemed to randomly happen during all of their tender and intimate moments without her realization or permission. Once Koga brought it to her attention, she began to willingly initiate the connection, deepening it. However, there were still moments when it would come about all on its own.

Now, it appeared that she had finally figured out why.

 _Koga has been tapping into my soul all this of time. He's been the one calling forth the random and sporadic connection._ She thought to herself, as she swiped her keycard into her apartment's lock and burst forth into her home.

Kagome found Koga sitting in the dark, on their couch, with his head buried in his hands.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She said frantically, as she flew to his side. "What happened?"

Koga startled as if he had not even been aware that she had entered the house.

"Nothing." He said, quickly. "I just have a headache. I'm going to lay down." He grumbled dismissively, as he stood up, kissed her forehead, and turned in the direction of their bedroom.

"Do NOT lie to me!" She said, angrily. "I can feel it."

Koga stiffened and turned to face her, noticing that she was glowing ever so slightly.

"You're connecting with me." She explained. "Your soul is calling out to me. Now, please tell me what that hell is going on. You're in pain." She said, angrily.

"I'm… what? How?" Koga stammered.

"It doesn't matter right now. What happened?" She demanded. "Let me in." She pleaded, as she desperately tried to make out his face in the dark, failing miserably as she did so.

Koga made no effort to approach her and he seemed to hesitate for a moment before he seemingly forced himself to speak.

"I just found out that… we can't… have children." He whispered, his voice cracking as he said the words out loud.

"What? Who told you that?"

"Trinity." He answered. "Trinity, Sota, Tenshi…" He rambled, in a rough voice.

"Sota? What are you talking about, Koga? How would he… or anyone else for that matter, even know?"

"How could a baby with demonic blood survive inside of the womb of a holy user?" He whispered, with such sadness that it nearly broke Kagome's heart.

Kagome squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she thought upon this.

Once upon a time Kagome remembered never wanting children. However, those feelings seemed to slowly change ever since she reunited with Koga. As their relationship progressed, she slowly began to embrace the concept and, in a way, she secretly caught herself looking forward to it. However, the mere thought that she may never one day have that chance, left her feeling completely cheated and heartbroken.

"We'll figure it out. I can talk to Anatomy. I'm sure he'll be able to help us somehow. He always does." She said smoothly, while using all of her willpower to remain strong, in the very least, for Koga's sake.

"Kagome…"

"We'll find a solution like we always do." She said softly, taking him into her arms and reassuring him.

"…it doesn't matter." Koga, whispered softly, into her hair.

Kagome looked up into his puffy, blue eyes and waited for an explanation.

 _He's been crying._ She realized, beginning to feel sick.

"However it works out, it doesn't matter." He pushed. "All I need is you."

"I know you want children, Koga. This does matter."

"I do want children, but if I never do, it's alright. All I need is you." He swore. "I can deal with anything else as long as I have you. As long as you are always by my side, nothing else matters."

 _This man…_

Kagome tightened the hug and pressed a tender kiss over his heart. "I love you, too." She whispered. "But I'm sure there are options, so please don't give up hope so quickly."

"Trinity mentioned adoption or a surrogate mother." Koga growled.

"Those are two very good choices if we aren't able to have a child naturally." Kagome admitted, hoping to further soothe him.

Koga lowered his head and Kagome could hear him attempt to take several deep pulls of her scent. While he did so, his hand involuntarily roamed down, over her back and around to her stomach, gently trailing his fingers across it as his mind wandered.

 _Neither of those options line up with what he's always secretly envisioned._ Kagome thought to herself. _His child growing inside of my body._ She realized sadly, as he continued to smell her.

 _He's seeking my bonding scent. He needs reassurance right now._ She thought, as she reactively flooded her part of the shared spiritual connection with all the love and hope that she could muster within her heart.

As she did so, she gently engulfed him with all the comfort that he so desired, and she wrapped her soul tightly around his, in an invisible embrace.

Koga immediately groaned and sunk into her. "I love it…"

"…when I do this." Kagome finished for him, allowing herself to smile.

Koga lowered his head into her neck and took another deep pull of her scent.

"Just concentrate on me and what I'm feeling, baby. You don't need the scent right now." She said, tenderly. "Just promise me that you won't lose hope until we can figure some of this stuff out."

"I don't deserve you." He whispered in response, as he began to trail a path of tender kisses down her neck. "I should be comforting and protecting you, yet it always seems to be the other way around." He continued, as he began to drag his slowly elongating fangs across her skin. "Why is that?"

"You do. More so than you ever even realize." She whispered, as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the feel of him.

"My warrior woman." He approvingly grumbled against her throat. "My strong and fearless alpha female." He whispered, as his sensuous and musky bonding scent began to wash over her. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, Kagome?"

"Show me." She said softly, as she reached up and released his hair, the long onyx locks gently cascading over her in the dark.

Koga didn't need to be asked twice. He happily obliged, quickly bending over and lifting her into his arms bridal style, before setting off with her in the direction of their their shared bedroom.

Once there, he gently laid her upon the bed and made quick work of freeing her from the confines of her clothes while he quickly did the same.

When finished, he absentmindedly ran his hand down his chiseled stomach muscles while his glowing red eyes slowly trailed their way down her naked form.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered in a low and dark echo, as he lowered himself in-between her legs and upon her body. The moment his hips made contact with hers, he became aware of just how ready she was for him. His hardened length immediately slid down and over her slick velvet folds and he found himself quickly nestled against her entrance.

Of course, Kagome wasted no time in attempting to thrust him inside of her at the slight contact.

"Not yet." He whispered, as he shimmied himself lower down on her body and brought his lips crashing down against hers.

Koga kissed her possessively. His mouth was slow in its pace, yet demanding. He left no inch of her mouth untasted or unexplored as he devoured her. His mate's need, as always, was urgent, and the scent of her desire for him had his cock weeping in anticipation, adding to the wetness that had already begun to coat her inner thighs.

"God baby, I want you." He growled out, as he released her mouth and dropped his head down to her breast, while his clawed hand teased the other. As she arched against him, Koga grazed his sharp teeth along the underside of the soft mound of her breast, before taking her hardened nipple roughly into his mouth. He hungrily suckled at the pink bud as his tongue flicked over the raised flesh, causing her to moan loudly in pleasure beneath him. When Kagome's breathing became ragged and her thrusts against his stomach had become almost unbearable, he lowered himself yet again, dragging his face down her slick and intoxicating heat.

Kagome instantly shuddered.

Koga continued on, separating her legs and pushing her thighs down against the mattress. As she opened for him, he slowly sank his tongue deep inside of her. When he could go no further, he tilted his head upwards, sweeping his tongue outside of her and over her throbbing clit, with the simple motion.

"Koga…" Kagome moaned, as she trembled beneath him. Her hands flew down to him and wrapped themselves in his long hair, anchoring him to her. "More." She whispered desperately, through hitched breaths.

"Tell me what you want, baby." He said sensuously, between laps at her pulsing clit. "I want to please you." He whispered, his warm breath coasting over her primed folds.

"I…" She started, before Koga dropped his lips against her clit and began to lightly suck on her.

"Fuck…" Kagome groaned. Her hips immediately bucked against him and her body began to tense.

Koga stared up at her, watching as she arched against his mouth. He could feel her hands release their hold on his hair and coast over to his face, holding him in place while she rolled against him.

Koga gently released his hold on her thighs and coasted a newly freed hand up her leg. He paused for only a moment before he gently pushed two fingers inside of her and twisted against her G-spot. He began to flick her clit with the tip of his tongue as he did so.

Kagome threw her head back in pleasure and clenched her thighs tightly against his face.

Koga could instantly feel her insides clamp down on him as she came hard against him. The waves of her orgasm washed over him through their spiritual connection and he worked quickly to drink down the warm and sweet nectar that her body offered to him as a reward.

Seconds ticked by before Koga sat back on his knees and began to slowly size Kagome up.

Her eyes were closed in pure ecstasy and she was panting. Her cheeks were flushed and her mouth was parted. Her pink lips were slightly swollen and heated from his earlier exploration of her mouth. The lips down below… were in an almost identical condition. Slight orgasmic aftershocks were rolling through her body and every moment or so she would slightly tense and shiver. She was beautiful and sexy, seductive and innocent, all at the same time.

"I swear I could cum just from looking at you." Koga growled, as he looked upon her.

"Do it." She said coyly, as she gasped for breath. "I want to watch you." She whispered, as she opened her eyes and sized him up, while licking her lips in heated anticipation.

"What?" He sputtered, in confusion.

"Touch yourself." Kagome purred, as she gazed up at him from hooded lids.

"I can't…"

Kagome quickly sat up and grasped his hand in hers, gently wrapping it around his thick and hardened shaft.

"You can." She whispered, as she held his eyes and began to work his hand over himself. The moment she released her hold on his hand, Koga stopped moving.

"I…"

"You don't feel comfortable?" Kagome whispered, becoming confused.

"It's not that. I just never…"

"Did this in front of someone?" Kagome finished.

Koga studied her face. "It's been a while since I did this and I don't really remember how…" He started, before shaking his head and attempting a different sentence. "I don't know if I can finish if I'm being watched." He grumbled.

Kagome bit her lip and tore her eyes from his, willing herself not to laugh at the sheer innocence of it all.

"How long is a while?" She asked softly, thankful that her voice did not betray her disbelief.

"Since I was a teenager."

"Christ. Really?!"

"I never had to since then." He mumbled, feeling oddly embarrassed and not understanding why.

"Well aren't you a _stud, Lord Koga_." Kagome said sarcastically, as she felt her wanton mood instantly begin to wane.

 _How the hell is that even possible? Did he have some magical 'pussy on demand' button that he would push daily, throughout the centuries? He's a man. Men jerk off. What the fuck?_

"Kagome…"

 _So conceited, too... 'I never had to since then.' Who says that?_ Her mind spat, angrily. _I spend years masterbating to werewolf books on my down time and this guy's out getting laid every freaking night! What an asshole!_

"Kagome?"

Kagome cleared her throat. "Forget it. I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to do. It's okay." She said, softly. "We can do something else."

Koga huffed. "I want to please you though."

"You just did, and you always do. So please don't worry about it." She said, smoothly as she laid back down again on the bed.

"I want to try." He said, seriously.

 _Good grief. I don't even want that now. I'm too busy thinking about you getting laid all the fucking time over the last five centuries while forcing myself to be nice to you about it._

"Kagome?"

"Okay. Knock yourself out." She said a little too casually, as she stared up at him.

Koga's head tilted to the side for a moment before he lowered his eyes.

"Could you help me? Like how you were before?" He whispered, as his cheeks heated.

 _This man has the power to completely infuriate me with his arrogance in one moment and then genuinely move me with his vulnerability in the very next!_

Kagome swiftly sat back up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him back down on the bed with her.

Before he could say anything, she wrapped him in her spiritual connection and took his mouth in a tender, and silencing, kiss.

Koga immediately groaned and relaxed against her.

"A million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and you used to jerk off…" Kagome whispered, chuckling near his ear. "Did you do so while you fantasized or did you do so based on the physical feeling alone."

"Huh?"

"Did you imagine things while you touched yourself, baby? Or did you just roll with the feeling that your hand was working into your dick?" She crudely clarified.

"I would imagine things." He said honestly, as Kagome began to thrust her hips against him.

"Like what, give me some ideas." She whispered.

"I used to think about making love to you." He said, a little too quickly.

Kagome instantly froze.

 _Did I hear him right?_

"Before you ask, I'm not lying, Kagome. This was all back when you were still around. Before you disappeared and I took Ayame as my mate." He clarified. "I _always_ used to think about you."

"So let me get this straight…"

"Here we fucking go." Koga grumbled, his erection angrily twitching against Kagome's core, begging for much needed release.

"You used to get yourself off by fantasying about having sex with me. Now, five hundred years later, you actually are having sex with me, but can no longer get off on just thinking about having sex with me?"

"When you put it that way it sounds completely ridiculous!" Koga growled, becoming frustrated. "I can't fantasize about something that's actually really happening before my very eyes! There's no point!"

 _Unbelievable! How the hell does his mind work?_

"Okay, so maybe we're going about this the wrong way then." Kagome, said quickly, changing tactics and pushing him back to his knees.

"I'm going to close my eyes." She said, sweetly. "I promise I won't peek." She stressed. "And I am going to show you what I do, when I think about you." She whispered, as she began to drag her hand down and over her breast, cupping the weight of it.

"Watch me baby, and touch yourself. Don't think about anything except for what you see and how your hand makes you feel." She instructed. "If you want to touch me, feel free to do so. No pressure. Whatever you do, do NOT overthink this." She instructed. "If it doesn't work, just say the word and I'll take care of you."

"But I thought _you_ wanted to watch _me_?"

"First you need to see if you can. Baby steps, Koga."

Kagome closed her eyes and she heard Koga loudly suck his teeth.

She tried to ignore him and focus on her own hands and the warmth they were spreading over her body while she imagined _Lord Koga_ roughly taking her and making her his.

Kagome immediately smiled.

 _I love this fantasy._ She thought to herself, as she lost herself within it…

 _In_ _this particular fantasy, she was a wolf demon from a rival tribe. Koga had taken her as a spoil of war. He celebrated his victory by roughly throwing, Kagome, his coveted prize, down on the floor of his private chambers. He desperately tore her furs from her body while she struggled against him. However, struggle as she may, the scent of her desire and her obvious wetness for him betrayed her, and her capturer wasted no time in entering her and making her his._

 _"You now belong to me." He growled smugly, as he thrust into her, driving her mad with desire. "Say it!" He demanded._

 _"No. Never!" She groaned, defiantly._

Kagome shuddered as she began to thrust against her hand, sliding her fingers inside of her while she did so.

 _She was at the part where she was about to finally give in, no longer having the strength to fight against her body's need for him when something different happened._

 _Koga was roughly grabbed by the neck and flung off of her, slamming into the wall._

 _This is new. Kagome thought to herself, as she watched._

 _A God like presence soon filled the room with his dark and demonic energy. She immediately recognized him, yet he was different._

 _Lucian, the wolf demon, who had occupied her dreams for many years, looked down upon her naked and trembling form with familiarity._

 _Only it wasn't the Lucian she had always envisioned based on Annika's lengthy descriptions of him from her writings or her artist's cover artwork._

 _This was the Lucian that was depicted in Annika's son's sketch. This was the true Lucian, and he was so chiseled, sexy and raw that no wordy description or imaginative artist's rendering could depict him._

 _She immediately understood in the fantasy that she was this man's woman and he was there to get her back… and punish her capturer._

 _Lucian snarled at her and in an instant his hand was tightly around Koga's throat while he pinned him against the wall._

 _In an unexpected twist, Lucian brought his thick and sharp fangs down against Koga's. Taking the man's mouth in a harsh and punishing kiss._

"Oh. My. God!" Kagome moaned out loudly, as she shuddered again and her hand's movements against her clit became more demanding.

 _"You will submit to me." Lucian grumbled in a deep and manly echo, as he roughly turned Koga around and slowly entered him._

 _"Fuck…" Koga groaned as he tiled his head backwards and Lucian took his mouth once again, as he roughly began to thrust into him._

"Fuck…" Kagome groaned, as she bit her lip and tired her best to keep her impending orgasm at bay.

 _Don't cum yet._ She pleaded with herself, as she slowed down her ministrations. _I need to see this! Do not cum yet, Kagome!_

 _As Lucian took Koga while Kagome watched, his thick and muscled arm wrapped around Koga's waist, his clawed hand tightly wrapping around Koga's hard and throbbing member while he did so. He began to work him over with his hand timing the pumps with the harsh and heated thrusts of his hips._

 _Koga groaned and fully submitted to him._

 _"Please." He growled. "More. I…"_

Kagome could not help but explode. She orgasmed incredibly hard and loud, surprising herself by the ferocity of it.

When she slightly felt herself come back down to earth, she cracked opened her eyes and saw Koga's own hooded eyes staring back at her. He looked completely relaxed, yet somewhat proud of himself.

As her eyes ran down his body, she could see that Koga was no longer as hard as a diamond.

She was also vaguely aware that her stomach and chest were drenched by a warm and quickly drying liquid.

"You came." She said, happily. "I'm so proud of you." She said, stupidly.

"That was incredible." Koga whispered, coyly. "You went fucking nuts! Do you always do that when you take care of yourself?!" He said, in awe.

"Um. Yea." Kagome said quickly, having no idea what she actually did while she was within the throws of her new fantasy.

"You're so fucking hot." Koga whispered, smiling at her.

"Would you now feel comfortable with me watching you sometime?" Kagome whispered.

"Definitely." Koga said, smugly. "I was so lost in what _you_ were doing, I wouldn't have paid it any mind anyway." He growled, as he lowered his mouth to hers and took her in a sweet and possessive kiss.

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and Koga picked her up and began to carry her off to the shower.

"What the hell were you thinking about, baby?" Koga whispered smugly into her hair, as he walked down the hallway.

 _I was thinking about Lucian taking you from behind while he worked over your cock._

"You, baby. I was watching you cum." Kagome said, simply.

"The things that turn you on…" He grumbled, as he whisked her away.


	23. Chapter 23

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 23

Inuyasha growled to himself as he crossed the base's grounds.

 _Staying with Sesshomaru is fucking horrible!_ He angrily thought to himself.

Sesshomaru had promptly taken him to his suite after Kagome left them the night before. The two brothers had spent hours talking over a deliciously prepared meal while catching up. Inuyasha updated Sesshomaru on Rin and life on the other side, and Sesshomaru updated Inuyasha on R.O.O.T and, of course, Kagome.

 _Wraith. Her name here is Wraith._ Inuyasha remembered, as he replayed his conversation with Sesshomaru from the night before.

 _"All agents here are dedicated to Rin's dream of world peace, Inuyasha. In order to join this secret organization, all members must leave all traces of their former life behind. This is for the protection of their friends and families. In doing so, each agent takes on a codename of their choosing, usually one that summarizes their abilities in some way, but not always."_

 _"What is Kagome's?"_

 _"Kagome is agent Wraith."_

 _"She chose to be a ghost." Inuyasha grumbled. "How sad."_

 _"I believe it to be most fitting. She is a ghost of the past, brother. A visible spirit, if you may."_

 _"What's asshole's name?"_

 _"Fang." Sesshomaru rumbled, without missing a beat._

 _"Stupid."_

 _"I concur."_

 _"His real name is stupid, too."_

 _Sesshomaru nodded in agreement as he took a sip of his wine._

 _"What's your codename?" Inuyasha asked, curiously._

 _"Sesshomaru."_

 _"Keh. Too good to follow your own rules, as usual." Inuyasha said, knowingly._

 _"I have lived under constantly changing identities over the past several centuries. As far as anyone here knows, Sesshomaru is my codename."_

 _"Destruction of life." Inuyasha laughed, while he translated the meaning of Sesshomaru's birth name. "General, 'Destruction of life' is the head of an organization seeking to promote world peace." He sputtered, between gasps for air._

 _Sesshomaru scowled at him._

 _"I don't know who the bigger idiot is. You, for using your real name as your codename, or your mother, for giving such an evil name to a newborn baby boy in the first place."_

 _"Watch. Your. Words." Sesshomaru growled, in warning._

 _Yep. Still a mamma's boy, through and through. Inuyasha thought, as he chuckled to himself._

 _"Your mother spends a lot of time with Rin, by the way." Inuyasha said smoothly, as he gauged Sesshomaru for a reaction._

 _Sesshomaru's angry demeanor immediately changed and he visibly blanched._

 _"Before you ask, Rin deals with her well. She has the patience of a saint, she really does. 'Lady Mother' spends a lot of time demeaning and chastising her."_

 _Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in anger._

 _"But, Rin takes it all with perfect grace. Every time the woman insults her, she smiles and genuinely compliments her about something. It throws your mom for a real loop. She can't break her down, no matter how hard she tries, and honestly, I think she believes Rin to be most fascinating in some way. It's really interesting to watch. Rin's actually gotten the stoic woman to laugh quite often as well."_

 _"Laugh?" Sesshomaru said, in disbelief. "Mother does not laugh."_

 _"She does quite a bit. You have your wife to thank for that. If I remember correctly, she seemed to be able to crack you up from time to time, too."_

 _Sesshomaru smiled in memory._

After the meal Sesshomaru had provided Inuyasha with a guest room that would serve as his personal space until the body situation could be sorted out. Unfortunately, his brother seemed to be under the impression that Inuyasha must follow him around all day until they actually did so. The entire situation felt massively suffocating and maddening to him.

On top of it all, his brother seemed to take for granted that the world that Inuyasha was currently living in was completely new and overwhelming to him. On the other side, Inuyasha had heard so many stories about the advancement of society. He and his group would scramble to meet with, and talk to, the souls of the newly departed just so that they could hear all about the current state of the world and the newest forms of technology being used within. To actually see these things with his very own eyes and try to somehow make sense of them left him feeling exhausted and bewildered.

An example of which was the explosive argument that the two brothers just had that morning over the assumed use of a toilet. Sesshomaru had demanded that Inuyasha use one… and Inuyasha, although he had heard of them, had no idea how to.

When explained to him, Inuyasha, of course, immediately refused. As expected, the refusal to conform had pissed the 'emperor of etiquette' right the hell off.

After a most heated slew of angry words were exchanged, Inuyasha took off alone.

He now found himself exploring the expanse of Sesshomaru's lands and the strange people within them. As he walked around, he found himself trying connect words to things that he had only ever heard about on the other side. He immediately guessed what the square devices that people were holding and interacting with were. He heard a lot about 'cell phones' from the souls of the newly departed. Televisions, cars, computers… they were all machines that he had also heard so much about. It was fascinating to look at these devices and see them light up, move or make noise.

As Inuyasha finally found a shaded and hidden area within the grounds in which to do his business, he hid himself so that he could finally do so, before taking off again so that he could further explore his new world.

* * *

Koga brusquely crossed the grounds that led from the training area over to the direction of his apartment. It was the early morning and he had snuck away while Kagome was sleeping so that he could blow off a little steam.

The night before, Kagome, as always, had managed to reassure all of his worries. Mentally, he felt oddly hopeful about their situation and was positive that they would somehow be able to work everything out. However, physically, he found himself to be in a much different state.

His body was tense and on completely on edge.

It was a telltale sign that he was quite familiar with.

The lack of Kagome's bonding scent was beginning to take its toll on him. His own hormones were obviously becoming unbalanced and he found himself battling against the overwhelming need to be beside her at _all_ times again.

 _Only another week until her hormone collections start._ He mentally grumbled to himself. _Only a few more days, Koga._

As he walked along and gave himself a silent pep talk, a familiar canine scent began to waft through the air.

 _Kagome's dog?_ He realized, as he suddenly halted and began to hone in on the scent.

 _Why would he be out here?_ He wondered to himself, as he took off in a heated run and followed his nose. _Did he somehow get loose?_ He worried.

He had been so distraught the night before that he had completely forgotten all about the poor animal and he felt ashamed that he did not once ask his mate about how the dog was doing.

After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the dog sitting in front of his apartment building. It was silently watching the agents that exited the structure interact with one another as they set off to start their day.

 _If he did manage to get loose, I don't want to call out to him and have him take off again._ Koga thought to himself, as he tried to sneak up on him.

He tried to slowly approach the dog from behind. When he got within a few feet, he watched as the dog lifted his head up, as if to test the air.

After one sniff, it immediately swung its head over in his direction, its eyes widening as they landed on him.

 _So much for sneaking up on him._ Koga thought, realizing he'd quickly been made.

"Inuyasha." He said happily, in a high toned voice. "How are you feeling, you dumb mutt?" He asked cheerfully, as he approached him. "I heard you tried to save Sota. Such a good boy." He said smoothly, while trying to imitate the ridiculous way that humans spoke to their idiotic pets.

 _Just a few more steps and I'll be able to grab his collar._

The dog immediately lowered its head and bared its teeth at him.

 _I fucking hate dogs!_

"Come on. I thought we were passed this." Koga said, soothingly. "You can't hate me forever. I'm a part of your family now." He said, aloofly.

At these words, the dog immediately scowled at him and charged in his direction. When Inuyasha got within a few feet of Koga, he jumped high into the air and snapped at him.

If it hadn't been for Koga's superb reflexes, the dog would have caught a hold of his throat.

Koga cursed and jumped up into the branch of a nearby tree while growling loudly.

He was about to attack the stupid animal, when a memory of warning popped into his head.

 _"Don't you ever, ever, EVER, lay a hand on Inuyasha. Do you hear me? I will never forgive you!"_

"You stupid and disobedient mutt!" Koga spat, as he stared down at the animal and began to flash his teeth. "If it weren't for your _master_ , I'd rip you to shreds!"

The dog's eyes narrowed and it looked up at Koga with such hate and rage that Koga felt the weight of it roll through his body. The animal stared up at him for a few seconds, before it tried to jump up into the tree after him.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Koga taunted, from his place up in the tree.

He watched on as the dog repeatedly failed to reach him. It was so amusing to watch, that Koga soon erupted into an obnoxious fit of laughter.

Inuyasha growled loudly in anger and began to back up across the grounds.

If Koga were paying attention, he would have realized that the dog was giving itself the distance that it needed to clear the jump. He also would have noticed that a small audience made up of his neighbors had slowly begun to gather around to watch.

Within a moment, the dog took off, running the length of grass that stretched between the building and Koga's perch on the tree. As it closed in on the tree, its speed allowed it to run up a portion of the trunk before the animal swiftly pushed off of it and cleared the branch. The moment that it did, it savagely snapped its jaws around Koga's calf. The shock and accompanying pain panicked Koga, and Inuyasha did not hesitate to take advantage of the wolf demon's newly stupefied state as it threw its head harshly to the side, and, as a result, threw Koga's dumb ass roughly out of the tree.

Koga wasn't able to fully make sense out of what had just happened, until he heavily crashed against the ground in a bruised and tangled heap.

"That dog just took out a member of the infamous Alpha team!" Someone shouted, while holding his phone up so that he could take a picture of the animal.

"Fang?! Fang, are you okay?" Mystic's voice called out, as the petite psychic pushed her way through the crowd and over to his side.

Koga, now embarrassed, scrambled to get to his feet. "I'm fine. I just slipped! That's all!" He said, loudly.

"You did not! We saw the whole thing!" Someone else called out from within the crowd. "That dog totally kicked your ass!"

"SHUT UP!" Koga roared, becoming absolutely furious.

For a moment, he swore he heard stifled snickering coming from the dog's position above him within the tree.

"Calm down." Mystic said softly, as she took Koga's arm and looked him over. "Don't let anyone goad you. You're much better than that." She chided.

"What is going on over here?" Kagome asked curiously, as she made her way through the crowd. "What am I missing?"

"Fang got a little lesson in karma." Quake called out to her. "You just missed it."

"Huh?"

"That's what you get for antagonizing a dog." Quake said, smoothly.

"I was _not_ antagonizing him!" Koga spat.

"You told him that you'd tear him to shreds if it weren't for his owner." Quake said, quickly. "Mystic and I heard… and saw the whole thing."

Koga watched as Kagome studied him, completely confused. "What dog?" She mumbled.

A loud 'woof' sounded off from above him and Kagome's eyes turned upwards, immediately catching site of the dog that was casually sitting on the tree branch while apparently smirking at her.

Kagome immediately frowned.

"Don't all of you people have somewhere to be?" She spat, in her most authoritative voice, addressing the crowd around her.

The agents making up the small crowd stiffened and began to quickly disperse, making their way over to the office building to report into work for the day.

"You'd tear him to shreds if it weren't for me?" Kagome whispered under her breath, as she passed by Koga and Mystic while walking over towards the tree.

"Wraith…" Koga sputtered, as he watched her.

"Who started it?" She demanded.

"He did!" Koga roared, as he pointed to the dog. "That dog has always hated me. From day one." He growled.

Kagome scowled at Inuyasha. "Can you get back down?" She angrily asked him.

"Woof." Inuyasha replied, as he nodded.

"Not speaking today?" Kagome asked, suspiciously.

"Woof." He said in response, as he shook his head in the negative.

"What are you even doing here?" She asked, as she crossed her arms against her chest. "Get down now." She demanded.

"Woof?"

"Stop being an idiot and get down here!" She roared.

"Wraith? You do realize that you're yelling at a dog, don't you? He can't understand you." Mystic said, softly.

Kagome laughed. "Oh, he understands me, alright. I promise you that."

"Um. Okay." Mystic said, as she shot Koga a worried look.

Koga shrugged.

"I guess I'll see you later, then. Welcome back, you guys." Mystic said quickly, as she and Quake turned around and headed off to work.

"Our audience is gone. You can come down now." Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha sighed and slowly jumped down and out of the tree. When he approached Kagome, he sat down at her feet and threw Koga the most savage of nasty looks.

"Fang, could you please give us a second?" Kagome requested.

"Why?"

"Because I'm asking you to."

"Uh. Alright, I guess." Koga mumbled, as he took off towards the entrance of their building, slightly limping as he did so.

The moment Koga entered the building, Inuyasha erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Smelly, scrawny wolf." He spat, between large intakes of breath. "Always all talk with nothing to back it up."

"Did you bite him?!" Kagome angrily inquired.

"Woof!"

"Would you stop doing that?!" Kagome roared in absolute frustration.

Her furious expression had Inuyasha laughing even harder. He flopped onto his back and began to roll around as he did so.

"I take it that Koga has no idea who you are." Kagome continued.

"Nope. He thinks I'm your dog, as he should." Inuyasha said, between chuckles.

"I'm not going to lie to him, Inuyasha."

"Come on, Kagome! I _don't_ want him to know anything about this!" Inuyasha grumbled, as he rolled over and stood back up. "Put yourself in my shoes for a second. I didn't ask to come here! To be brought back like… _this_ … is completely fucked up!"

Kagome sighed. "I am trying to sympathize with you, I really am, but I _cannot_ keep this a secret from him. I am going to have to tell him."

"No!"

"It's not up to you." Kagome chided, as she grabbed his collar and dragged him over to the apartments.

"Ka… Wraith, wait." Inuyasha whispered, as they passed by a few agents in her lobby.

Kagome chuckled at the use of her agency name.

"So, Sesshomaru has brought you up to speed with the way things work on this base, hasn't he?"

"Somewhat." Inuyasha growled, as Kagome dragged him into her elevator and pushed a button.

"Good. That saves me a lot of work." She mumbled, as she soon exited the elevator and approached her apartment's door.

"Do we have to do this _today_?!" Inuyasha sputtered, hating what was going to happen next.

"Yes, we do. I may have delayed it for a day or two, but since you decided that it would be fun to attack my mate, I think an explanation is in order right away."

"Oh, come on!"

"You did this to yourself." Kagome grumbled, as she threw her door open and dragged Inuyasha inside. She quickly closed the door behind them and turned the lock before releasing her hold on his collar.

Inuyasha immediately took off and began to investigate the apartment, happily sniffing around as he did so.

Meanwhile, Kagome took off in search of Koga. She didn't have far to go as she heard the jets of her shower running.

"Babe, can I come in?" She called out, against the bathroom door.

"Only if naked!" Koga answered, seductively.

"Pig!" Inuyasha shouted, from his current place within Kagome's bedroom.

Kagome sighed and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Is someone here?" Koga asked her immediately, as he peeked out of the shower. "I thought I heard someone."

"Yup. We have company, so don't burst out of here naked like you usually do." She instructed, as she poked her head into the shower and tried to get a good look at Koga's leg.

"Shit, he really got you!" She shrieked, as she saw the angry fang marks and sliced flesh that marked up Koga's calf. "Unbelievable!" She said, angrily.

"I'll be fine." Koga said, soothingly. "It's already starting to heal." He promised.

"I can't believe him!"

"Dogs are stupid. What did you expect?"

Kagome sucked her teeth and stormed out of the bathroom.

"You really hurt him, you jerk! What the hell has gotten into you?!" She roared, as she set off to catch Inuyasha.

She found him in the hallway, staring at a picture that she kept on the shelf.

Kagome sighed as she dropped down to her knees next to him.

"You kept this?" He whispered, as he stared at the photo strip that Koga had not yet had a chance to remove from its long standing place on their shelf.

"Of course I did." She said, sadly. "I miss you. Always have." She admitted.

Inuyasha's animal features saddened and he dropped his head.

"Me, too." He mumbled. "I never stopped looking for you." He whispered.

"I know. I heard."

"Koga quit looking right away so that he could mate with Ayame. Did he happen to tell you about that?" Inuyasha said hurriedly, fully instigating.

Kagome sighed. "Yes, I know everything. You can't hold that against him. He moved on like he should have. Like I wish _you_ would have."

"Keh. I was happy looking for you."

"I would have been happy if you moved on and lived your life." She said, honestly.

"I had a good life, Kagome. Sesshomaru's kids and grandkids kept me plenty busy." He said, softly. "I had a family for once, but I was just missing the most important member of it."

Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck and hugged him.

"You are, and will always be, my family." She whispered.

Inuyasha said nothing while he nuzzled into her and took a deep draw of her scent.

The two sat quietly together in this way as they heard Koga exit the bathroom and slowly approach them.

"Where's our company?" Koga asked curiously, as he came upon them before halting. "You actually brought _him_ in the house? Why? He's going to stink up the place." He said angrily, as he stared at Inuyasha.

"Not a 'just you' decision, babe." Kagome said softly, as she released Inuyasha and stood up.

Koga shook his head. "If he attacks me again…"

"He won't." Kagome said, quickly. "Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

"Woof."

"For Christ's sakes! Stop doing that!"

"Bark!" Inuyasha substituted, as he angrily rose to his feet and wandered over to Kagome's living room.

"Grrrrrrrr!" Kagome growled out in frustration, as she took off after him. "Stop running away!"

When Kagome entered the living room, with a perplexed Koga following right behind her, she found the dog staring up at the large framed picture on the wall that depicted the moment right after she and Koga had gotten engaged.

Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief as he stared at it. Kagome was held tightly within Koga's arms, her hand clasped tightly over his, while they both lovingly gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

Inuyasha immediately began to growl.

When Kagome had died and told him that she was in love with Koga, the mere thought of the two of them together made him absolutely sick. His mind refused to imagine or comprehend something so absolutely disgusting. In some way, he rationalized that it was simply a passing phase.

He had reasoned that since Koga was familiar to Kagome, and she had just so happened to find him again, it must have been very emotional for her. So therefore, she just needed some time to work him through her system and she'd be done with him. Kagome would eventually move on from him.

Hell, even Ayame had ended up leaving the mangy wolf after a time. Obviously Kagome would wise up and do the same.

However, the picture on the wall spoke a thousand words.

Koga and Ayame had never once looked at each other in the way that Koga and Kagome were looking at each other in the picture. Never once had he seen that level of emotion exchanged between the pair in the many times that he bumped into them over the span of his very long life.

Seeing this frozen intimate moment between Koga and Kagome _forced_ Inuyasha to acknowledge that they truly were in a real romantic relationship with one another. It also brought to light one very important fact.

Koga and Kagome were honestly in love with each other. There was no mistaking it.

The couple gazed upon each other much like his brother and Rin always had, and just like Sango and Miroku still continue to, on the other side.

The revelation was explosive.

"I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS!" Inuyasha roared, as she spun around to scowl at Koga.

Kagome halted her stride and Koga crashed right into her. She could hear him take a sharp intake of air as he did so. She was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the bump and everything to do with Inuyasha's outburst.

"What the…" Koga sputtered.

"You shit _wolf_!" Inuyasha spat, in disgust. "You don't deserve Kagome! You _never_ deserved Kagome!" Inuyasha roared. "It figures that you would so conveniently pop up again after I died. You always were a lazy opportunist! Way to take advantage of the situation!"

"Inuyasha?" Koga sputtered. "How?" He whispered, as his mouth dropped in shock.

"Maybe you want to sit down?" Kagome ordered, as she studied him. "I don't want you passing out again."

Kagome tried to steer Koga in the direction of the couch, but he was solidly frozen in place.

"How is this possible?" Koga hissed, unblinking.

"You can't even protect her!" Inuyasha continued, completely ignoring him. "Even in _this_ form, I can still kick your ass! You're completely useless!"

"The Tenseiga brought back the wrong Inuyasha." Kagome hurriedly explained.

"What?!" Koga shouted, completely outraged. "So he's here permanently?!"

"Uh. We're not sure." Kagome admitted. "Sesshomaru was going to try to figure out a way to fix all of this."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Inuyasha promised, his voice completely smug. "Once I find a new body, I'll be here to stay. _Permanently_." He stressed. "Start getting used to the idea, _wolf_."

"Get out!" Koga spat while his hands clenched into fists and his bonding scent ferociously flooded the room. "Get the fuck out of _my_ house!"

"Make me!" Inuyasha shouted, as he began to choke on the new and decrepit scent that had begun to overtake the air.

"Stop!" Kagome yelled. "Both of you, stop!" She ordered. "You two are going to have to put up with each other. You don't have to like one other and you don't have to like any of this, but you _will not_ attack each other. Is that clear?"

"Since when do you tell me what to do? You're not _my_ boss, Kagome." Inuyasha said snidely, in between coughs. "You're _his_." He grumbled aloofly, as he pointed to Koga with his nose.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" Koga roared, as he made to lunge at the antagonistic animal.

Kagome quickly jumped in his path and wrapped her arms around his neck, preventing him from sidestepping her.

"Move!" Koga demanded.

"Koga, I know this is hard. But, please try to calm down and think about this. Inuyasha is trapped in a dog. What are you going to do? Beat up a defenseless animal? You can't do that, baby. That's still my dog's body."

"Defenseless?" Koga spat, as he attempted to slide out of Kagome's hold on him. "He may be a dog, but he is _not_ defenseless!" He hissed, as he gripped Kagome's arms and pulled them off of him.

As he turned to make his way around her, he was immediately engulfed in her calming spiritual connection.

"This is... cheating." Koga groaned out, as he fought to stay mad.

"This is necessary." Kagome said sweetly, as she studied him. "This is all I have right now."

 _The lack of my bonding scent is starting to wear on him_. Kagome sadly realized. _The timing of having Inuyasha here couldn't have been worse._ She thought dejectedly to herself, as she pulled out her phone.

"Who are you calling?" Koga whispered lazily, as he glowed within her connection.

Kagome didn't answer him, she instead ran off to the bedroom and began to whisper urgently on the phone.

Koga struggled to eavesdrop, but he wasn't able to pick up on anything except for a random mention of 'saving the swords' and 'keeping other things'.

A second passed before he heard her thank the person on the other line and march off into their bedroom closet, slamming the door closed behind her.

A few minutes passed and the sounds of shuffling could be heard before the door opened again, yet Kagome did not readily appear.

"Inuyasha, could you come here please?" She sweetly called out to him, from her place within the closet.

Inuyasha quickly crossed the hallway and walked into the closet to meet her.

Koga could hear a loud yip sound followed by the sounds of a scuffle. As he set off to investigate, Kagome exited the closet beaming with pride. She was pulling Inuyasha behind her… he was on a leash.

Koga erupted into a fit of laughter. "How degrading!" He howled, as he lost himself within his hysterics.

Kagome ignored Koga and practically dragged Inuyasha to the door.

"I'll be right back. I'm stopping by Sesshomaru's house." She said quickly, as she worked the lock.

"Like hell you are!" Koga grumbled, immediately sobering.

"Not up to you." Kagome said, as she opened the door and exited.

* * *

Sesshomaru quickly hung up his office phone and focused his attention back upon the agent that was sitting before him.

"Continue." He ordered, as he leaned back in his chair.

"So, as I was saying, His Immaculacy is headquartered in Germany's New Synagogue of Mainz." Frisk said, knowingly. "The woman I tapped into had never been there, or seen the guy, but that's where her group's been sending the vats of blood."

Sesshomaru pondered this information for a moment before speaking.

"Were you able to learn anything else that you think might be helpful?"

"Well, I learned that there are particular ways that holy users fight and they have very obvious weaknesses." Frisk rambled. "For example, they are not physical based fighters at all. All their fighting is done using raw spiritual power. I'm talking bindings, spells, shields, energy infused weapons, the whole gambit. They are masters at manipulating the energy of others as well. Just by touch, they can force their human enemies into trance like states, or they can manipulate the powers of other holy users."

"How?"

"Basically, he who has the stronger power, can cancel out the weaker opponent's power for a short time. It's like spiritual arm wrestling, I guess." Frisk said, smoothly. "The stronger arm will always win."

 _Wonderful analogy, agent Frisk._ Sesshomaru sarcastically thought to himself.

"They are also susceptible to demonic energy. Same arm wrestling concept there; the force with the higher level of power is able to burn the opponent with the lower level of power. So demonic energy, along with the employment of physical attacks, are, and can be, a very _big_ weakness for them."

"You are certain that their leader is one of The Celestial?" Sesshomaru said in a low voice, as his eyes narrowed.

"Supposedly, His Immaculacy is the most powerful holy user ever born. From the stories I heard from the prisoner's memories, he can take out hordes of demons in one casual sweep of his hand."

"Stories are typically exaggerated."

"I understand that. I'm just repeating what I know. None of the people that we have in custody have ever met His Immaculacy personally. Those who have set off to meet him, usually stay in his German congregation. Apparently, they become so enthralled with him that they refuse to leave his side."

"So our best tactic for fighting this man is the use of other Celestial beings." Sesshomaru said, thoughtfully. "Demon and holy users alike."

"Yes, demons and holy users that fall into that category would be our best bet in taking the guy down. If he is as powerful as he is rumored to be, that is."

Sesshomaru's mind was a flurry with the names and images of demons that he believed would fall into this top tier category. There was also one holy user that immediately came to mind as well.

 _Kagome must dedicate all of her time to training._ He thought, warily to himself.

Kagome was the only holy user that he had ever encountered who made his instincts scream in warning. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. She was very obviously just as powerful as he was, and he was _the most powerful_ diayokai alive on this planet.

 _No, there is another..._ His mind chided. _A demon more powerful than you..._

Sesshomaru scowled and pushed his traitorous thoughts from his mind.

"I will have Intelligence sort through our global employee records to identify all demons and holy users that we have at our disposal." Sesshomaru said, in a cold voice. "I am also sending out a mass notification to all R.O.O.T employees. I want anyone that falls within one of these two classifications who has not yet informed us, to reach out to H.R. to update their records."

"Why wouldn't we know that information from the get go, when agents are signed?" Frisk asked, curiously.

"Because the majority of demons would never disclose such information. My people have been in hiding for centuries, it is a mindset that does not easily go away. All would be hesitant to disclose their true nature and forms."

"Just like Fang did." Frisk mumbled to himself, in realization. "He hid what he was from this organization for over fifty years."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"There is one very big problem with requesting that all holy users and demons out themselves." Frisk said, knowingly.

"I am well aware that most agents will lie. It is just an unavoidable risk that we must embrace. There is no circumventing it." Sesshomaru said, quickly. "If our only way of protecting the world's gifted from The Order is by establishing an army of holy users and demons with which to combat them, then we must do so. Precious lives are at stake."

* * *

Kagome was halfway to the suites before Koga caught up to her.

She sighed.

 _Of course he was going to follow me here._ She mentally grumbled to herself.

"I'm coming with you." Koga said hurriedly, as he flanked her.

"Sesshomaru is not going to like you stopping by." She advised him.

"After all the hell that I just went through for that asshole's sake… he's just going to have to deal with it."

"It's your funeral." She muttered, as she approached Sesshomaru's building.

Koga chanced a glance down at Inuyasha. He looked absolutely pissed.

It was at this time that the leash that Kagome was using to tether him to her arm caught his eye.

 _That doesn't look like a dog leash._ He realized.

It looked more like a leash that he had only seen before in movies… a leash used for people.

"What the fuck is _that_?!" Koga whispered, horrified.

"What is what?" Kagome asked innocently, as she entered the lobby and approached the guards.

Koga kept his mouth shut until the guards gave her the approval to pass and they all made it into the elevator.

"That is _not_ a dog's leash." He hissed, in a raised whisper.

Kagome kept her eyes trained forward. "No. No, Koga, it's not." She said, simply. "But it's all I had."

Koga's eyes widened. "What are you doing with this?"

Kagome didn't answer him, instead she ran out of the elevator and to Sesshomaru's door, quickly swiping her keycard in the lock.

The lock immediately turned over and she entered his home. Once inside she released her hold on Inuyasha's leash and bolted off in some unknown direction.

As Koga tested the air, he realized that Sesshomaru was not currently there.

"You have access to _his_ house?!" Koga spat. "Even when he is not here?"

He tried to ignore the sounds of Inuyasha snickering behind him.

"Answer me, Kagome!" Koga said angrily, as he rushed to catch up to her. He ended up following her into a very large bedroom.

The moment that Kagome entered the bedroom she dropped to her knees at the foot of the bed to check for something that lay hidden underneath.

The moment that Koga entered the bedroom he immediately froze in place in sheer horror, as the sight of a giant portrait of _his_ mate, smiling playfully down at him from up above, came into view.

The painting was huge and took up the majority of the space on the wall. It was positioned over the large bed that was located in the center of the room.

Unfortunately, the scent that was identifying the owner of the room did not go unnoticed by Koga in his current shocked state.

 _This is Sesshomaru's bedroom_! His mind roared in realization. _He practically has a life sized picture of Kagome in his fucking bedroom!_

Koga promptly lost his shit.

His angry black aura immediately exploded from his body. The power of it rattled the furniture and shook the floors. Koga snarled loudly as his fangs instantly flew down to his chin, cutting his face in the process. His infuriated eyes burned a deep and angry crimson red and his claws snapped down over his fingertips, itching to slice something, _or someone_ , to pieces. His bonding scent swirled furiously around the room, covering everything in it with its thick and musky scent.

Kagome's head immediately flew up at the obvious change in Koga's energy and she worriedly followed his eyes, tracking down what had upset him so.

 _Oh… that…_

"Calm down!" Kagome shouted, as she hurriedly ran over to him. "That's not me, Koga!"

Koga made no indication that he even heard her as he continued to stare and growl at the painting.

 _This is bad. I didn't even think…_ Kagome's mind scrambled, as she called forth her spiritual connection and tried to forcibly wrap her soul around Koga's.

Koga's black aura immediately disappeared and he physically bowed for a moment, but he continued to snarl like a savage beast.

Kagome took a chance and embraced him, pulling his face down against hers in, what she hoped to be, a reassuring and loving kiss.

"Stay with me." She whispered, against his mouth. "Baby, I need you to try to stay right here with me."

Koga's face immediately lifted from hers and his angry eyes continued in their study of the portrait ahead. He was scowling and he made no effort to move.

"That's a painting of Rin. That's not me, baby. I swear this to you." She promised, in her most soothing voice.

Randomly, the muted sound of a flushing toilet swooshed off in the background and a seemingly proud Inuyasha casually padded into the bedroom to join them.

He took one look at Koga and froze; before the unique warning scent that was in the air caught up to him and he began to choke and gasp for air.

"What. The. Hell?!" He sputtered. "Decay. Sulfur. Fish. Sweat." Inuyasha sputtered out, attempting to decipher the scent. "I swear, I'm going to die all over again..."

Kagome wisely ignored him.

"What's got him so upset?" Inuyasha choked out, his eyes tearing while he studied Koga's obvious bloodlust state.

"That." Kagome said softly as she pointed to the portrait, being careful not to change her soothing tone for even the slightest instant.

"The painting?" Inuyasha asked curiously, as he sat down and stared at it. "What the fuck does he have against Rin? His wolves killed her once, wasn't that enough?" He asked, as he began to solely breathe through his mouth.

Koga growled loudly in warning.

"He thinks it's me." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha snorted. "Why? You look nothing like her."

Kagome blinked.

"Rin's eyes are always round and playful, but yours are the shape of almonds and always serious and soothing." Inuyasha said, smoothly. "Her lips naturally turn up in a fixed smile, but yours pout downwards as if deep in thought. Her face is more rounded and soft, and yours is sculpted and angled." Inuyasha said, simply. "You don't look anything like her, to me."

Kagome sighed.

"I guess I always paid more attention than your dumb boyfriend over here." Inuyasha quipped.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said, sweetly. "I'm going to give you the same ultimatum that I once gave to your brother." She continued, before she took a deep and calming breath. "You will speak of, and treat, Koga with respect. Until you are able to manage that, I will refuse to speak to you at all." Kagome said, in her soft and soothing tone. "If you can't do that, or accept that he will always be a part of the package in your relationship with me, then I will never speak to you again. Ever." She promised.

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and frowned.

"You will not disrespect my mate. I will not tolerate it. Not for a second." She warned, sweetly. "So, if I'm as important to you as you say I am, you will shut your fucking mouth and stop causing trouble. Do you understand me?" She said, through a great big smile.

Inuyasha dumbly stared at her while Koga's rage filled eyes slowly abandoned their study of Rin's picture and finally lowered down to Kagome's face.

"Your hair is so black that, at times, it shines blue in the light." He grumbled, in a low echoing growl. "Hers has a slight brownish hue to it."

Kagome smiled and stroked his cheek affectionately.

"Your skin is lighter too, like porcelain." He huffed, as he lowered his head into the crook of her neck and began to inhale her scent. "And your ears are curved in a different way. Your body frame is different, too."

"Um. Thanks?"

"The mutt's right. If you really look, it's easy to tell that it's not you." He growled, softly against her. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "At first glance…"

"It's fine. The first time that I saw it, I honestly thought it was me, too. So, please don't worry about it. You didn't destroy the place or kill anybody. Thank you for that." Kagome said softly, as she wrapped her hands around his face and lifted his head back up so that he was looking at her.

"You said all those things to Sesshomaru, about me?" He whispered, alluding to the words that she had just spoken to Inuyasha, as he held her brown eyes with his glowing red ones.

"Of course I did. But, he got the shortened version."

Koga smiled and dropped his mouth against hers, taking her lips in a chaste and loving kiss.

"You're bleeding." Kagome said worriedly, as he released her.

"I'm fine. I heal quick." He reminded her, as his fangs began to slowly retract back up into his mouth.

Kagome gave him a worried once over before she dropped it and returned to her place at the foot of Sesshomaru's bed, kneeling down and searching for something hidden under the frame.

In a moment, she was pulling forth a small oak box. She quickly opened it and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. Once she did, her eyes immediately flew over to Koga and she began to shakily attempt to speak in a language that only he would understand.

 _"Grab him. Be fast. Do not hurt him."_ She instructed simply, through low rumbles and growls.

Koga's eyes narrowed as he attempted to translate Kagome's rough attempt at speaking wolf.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome as if she had ten heads.

 _"Now?"_ Koga asked smoothly, in one short bark.

 _"Yes. Now."_ She barked and yipped, in response.

Koga immediately rushed Inuyasha and tackled him to the floor, holding him securely in place.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Inuyasha roared.

Koga smirked at him. "I'm not sure, but I'm enjoying this."

"Get off of me!" Inuyasha shouted, as he struggled to get free.

The moment that Kagome dropped down to her knees at his side, Inuyasha immediately saw what she was holding in her hand. The item brought forth a sense of long forgotten horror.

"Noooooooo! Not that! Anything but that! I'll behave!" He roared, as he desperately fought to break free from Koga's strong grasp.

In one quick movement, he felt the beads of subjugation being pushed down his head and down around his neck.

"Nooooooooooo!" He howled.

"I'm so sorry. But I need an insurance policy with you."

"A what policy?!"

"I need a backup plan in case of an emergency." Kagome clarified, regretfully. "Okay Koga, you can let him go now."

Koga released Inuyasha and the dog scrambled away from him and into a corner.

Inuyasha looked absolutely devastated and Kagome fought the urge to feel guilty as she slowly approached him.

As she got close, she held out her hand to remove the leash from his neck.

Inuyasha cringed.

 _God damn it. You're making me feel like absolute shit right now!_ Her mind grumbled.

"I'm going to take the leash off." She said softly, as she made quick work in doing so.

"I prefer the leash over _this_." He growled, as he pawed at the beads.

"If you behave, I'll never have to use them." She promised, softly.


	24. Chapter 24

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 24

After Inuyasha's obedience issues had been strictly dealt with, Koga, Trinity and Kagome were promptly summoned to meet with Sesshomaru in his office.

Upon their arrival, they noticed agents Mystic and Suggestion were there, patiently waiting near Umi's desk.

Umi immediately escorted Kagome and Inuyasha into Sesshomaru's office while everyone else sat in the waiting room.

When Kagome and Inuyasha entered the large office, Sesshomaru took one look at the beads that were hung around his brother's neck and his lips turned upwards into a faint smile.

"You were able to find them." He said smoothly, as he studied his brother. "Have you tested them yet?"

Inuyasha scowled at him.

"No, and I don't plan on _testing_ them. I'll _use_ them, only if I have to."

"Since when did you two become such pals?" Inuyasha growled sarcastically, as he eyed them both suspiciously.

"Recently." Kagome said sweetly, as she took a seat in front of Sesshomaru's desk.

Inuyasha huffed and laid down in the corner of the room.

"What can I do for you, General?" Kagome asked, once Inuyasha had begun to lightly snore.

"Are Koga and Trinity aware of my relation to Mei and Yuu?" Sesshomaru asked sternly, cutting straight to the chase.

"Trinity isn't. But the physical similarities weren't lost on Koga. He knows."

"That will make things somewhat easier." Sesshomaru said, quickly. "As Mei and Yuu have officially joined the organization this morning, their real identities no longer exist. All traces of them and their former existence in the real world have already been erased."

"But, aren't their real names on file here?"

"Their last names are not. I have manipulated their records in the system."

"How very dishonest of you." Kagome teased.

When Sesshomaru scowled at her, she smiled at him.

"It was necessary for their protection and the protection of your family. I get it. No need to get all huffy."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow slightly, signaling his amusement.

"What are their codenames?"

"Tempest and…" Sesshomaru whispered, before looking over to his sleeping brother for effect. "…Inuyasha."

"You're kidding!"

Sesshomaru frowned at her.

"I am not."

Kagome erupted into a roar of laughter.

"Where, pray tell, would he come up with such a name, I wonder?" Sesshomaru said coldly, as his eyes studied Kagome.

"He has canine like senses. The name makes sense." She said, attempting to justify Yuu's codename.

"Was it you, or the wolf, that advised him of such a name?"

"The wolf may have called him that a few times by accident." She said, softly. "If it's that much of a big deal, why didn't you just tell him that the name was taken?"

Sesshomaru said nothing.

"You think it suits him." Kagome realized.

Sesshomaru promptly ignored her.

"As you have probably already assumed, you, Koga and Trinity are here to have portions of your memory erased."

"No offense, Sir. But the moment that Koga or I see Mei or Yuu again, we're going to realize that they are related to you."

"I have already anticipated that." Sesshomaru said, smugly. "Mystic will be erasing all of your secret mission memories which will include all traces of Mei and Yuu. But, agent Suggestion will be hypnotizing each of you so that, if you do come upon either of them, and your mind attempts to connect their lineage, it will be redirected elsewhere. Trinity will not require such mental redirection since he was never aware of the connection to begin with."

"So what will we be left with?"

"You will be able to keep all of your non-mission related memories, however, you will not remember anything related to the mission itself, our private conversations precluding said mission, or Mei and Yuu's short term presence in your life. Put simply, you will be left with confusing fragments that you can't attach to a specific timeline in your life."

"Sounds fun."

"Mei and Yuu went through the same process this morning and it went smoothly. They do not remember anything about the past few days, nor do they remember their last names. They are under the belief that they were simply invited to join this organization and they did so. They are starting fresh here in the training program." He quickly informed her, before reaching for his phone.

"Are you ready?"

Kagome nodded.

"Umi, please send Mystic and Suggestion into my office." Sesshomaru ordered.

* * *

The moment that Koga joined Kagome in the waiting room, Trinity had apparently figured out what was going on and tried to escape.

The poor man was quickly apprehended by Umi, Mystic and Suggestion, and dragged, kicking and screaming, into Sesshomaru's office.

"I can't forget her! I don't want this!" He yelled, as Umi, Mystic and Suggestion physically restrained him.

"Noooooo! I am in love with her! Please don't do this!"

Koga and Kagome sadly watched, not knowing who he was referencing, but understanding that it was someone that had recently been wiped out from their own memories as well.

They both quickly diverted their eyes to the floor.

"How do you feel?" Kagome asked Koga, the moment that Trinity's cries silenced.

"My brain feels fuzzy." He admitted, as he rubbed his temples.

"Can you remember anything?"

"I remember dinner at Ginta's house." He grumbled, wincing. "And… I met your mom. Inuyasha is on the base but in a dog's body." He spat. "I remember _that_ part clearly." He said, angrily. "What about you?"

"I remember those things too, and I also remember training with Trinity."

"When did that happen?"

"I'm not sure…" Kagome stammered. "Every time I try to think about it, things get fuzzy and I get a headache. But, I remember the training itself."

"I don't like this. I feel lost." Koga whispered, as he rubbed his head.

"We agreed to this. I do know that we agreed to this before we did… whatever it is that we did." Kagome whispered. "What is the last thing that you remember clearly?"

"Giving Trinity a tour of the base. But I don't remember how or when we go back here. Also…"

Koga blanched as he remembered his discussion with Trinity the night before.

"I remember everything that happened since giving Trinity that tour. My discussion with him, you coming home and trying to reassure me, finding Inuyasha…"

"Me too. But the first continuous thing that I remember was being told that the Tenseiga made a mistake while I was in Sesshomaru's office. My memories pick up from there." She admitted.

Koga and Kagome looked up as Mystic and Suggestion passed through the waiting room and headed off towards the elevators, signaling the end of Trinity's treatment.

"Sesshomaru would like you both to return to his office now." Umi said pleasantly, as she approached them.

Koga and Kagome exchanged glances before they set forth. Upon entering Sesshomaru's room, they quickly took their seats at his desk, alongside Trinity.

"As Trinity will only be with us until Sunday, I want the three of you to dedicate his time here to training. Full time." He said, coldly. "All the information that we have on The Order, including their strengths and weaknesses, is on the organization's shared drive. Familiarize yourself with it. We already have sleeper agents attempting to infiltrate The Order's headquarters in Germany. I have a sneaking suspicion that a war with this international congregation will soon be upon us. You three will included in the front lines if a battle were to erupt. I need all of you to be prepared." He said, in a low voice of warning.

"How the hell am I supposed to train with _them_?" Koga asked, roughly.

Sesshomaru frowned at him. "I would think it would be obvious. Training to combat a holy user using the demonic energy that is at your disposal will be most beneficial for you. You have two holy users here for such enjoyment. Make use of them."

Koga stared at Kagome and blanched.

"You should be more worried about protecting _yourself_ from her, than of harming _her_." Sesshomaru said, quickly. "As time permits, I will be joining your training sessions sporadically as well." He threatened, while evilly smiling at Koga, making a grand show of his fangs.

Koga's lip curled back and exposed his right incisor in response.

"You should be most pleased, wolf. If I remember correctly, you have been 'waiting to have a real go at me for long time' now." He said, in a low growl, recalling his and Koga's past phone conversation. "I believe those were the words that you so arrogantly used." He rumbled, as his eyes narrowed. "You should be most honored to now have your chance."

Koga frowned in confusion.

"Hn. It appears that statement might have recently been forgotten. How unfortunate."

Koga smiled. "I _have_ been waiting to take you out for a while now." He lowly growled, as his claws began to extend.

"Is that all?" Kagome interrupted, as she quickly entwined her fingers with Koga's. "Are we dismissed?"

Sesshomaru calmly eyed her before he nodded.

"You are all dismissed." He said, in a cold and uninterested voice. "Show yourselves out."

Kagome took a loud breath of relief as she proceeded to drag Koga out the door, with Trinity following closely behind them.

"Save the fighting for the training center." She grumbled, as she pulled Koga by his arm over to the elevators.

"He started with me!"

"I don't care."

"Are we headed to the training center now?" Trinity asked, as he eyed Koga's disgruntled state.

"Yes." Kagome quickly answered.

She was about to hit the button for the main lobby, when Koga's hand burst forth and urgently grabbed it.

"We need to stop by Inspect's office first." He ordered, as his eyes widened.

"Huh. Why?"

"To say hello." He said, frantically.

"She knows we're here. There's no point in stopping by her office just to say 'hi', Fang."

"It'll only take a few minutes!" Koga snapped.

Kagome sighed, begging a higher power for patience.

"Do you mind waiting for us outside, Trinity? After I'm done checking in with Inspect, we'll meet you there and we can all head out to the training center together." She said, softly.

"Fine by me." Trinity replied, as he studied Koga's sudden change in demeanor.

Koga immediately hit the button for the reconnaissance department's floor. Once the elevator doors opened, he burst forth and began to hurriedly steer his mate to their department head's corner office on the far side of the floor.

When they approached, they could see that Frisk was currently sitting down across from Inspect's desk. The two were holding hands and obviously flirting with each other.

The moment they noticed Koga's and Kagome's presence, they both snatched their hands back and began to busy themselves as if they were somehow on official business.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

"I really don't know what the big deal is." She said cheerfully, as she and Koga entered the room. "Everybody knows. Why hide?"

Inspect frowned. "It is not professional."

Frisk nodded in agreement.

"You two are nuts." Koga grumbled. " _Seriously._ " He stressed.

"Not everyone wants to be lovey dovey all of the time like you two do. It's sickening." Inspect grumbled.

"Anyway." Kagome said, dismissively. "I just wanted to show my face and say hello."

Inspect raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks?" She said, confused.

"If you need me, I'll be at the training center until I'm officially back to work on Monday."

"Yup." Inspect quipped, as she busied herself on her computer.

Koga frowned.

"Is there anything going on that Wraith needs to be updated on before she leaves?"

"Nope." Inspect replied.

"Are you sure?" Koga demanded, while throwing an angry look over at Frisk.

"Yup." Inspect said casually, as she began to type away at her computer.

"Is there anything that _you_ want to say, Frisk?" He demanded.

Frisk seemed to think hard about this.

"I saw a talking dog the other day."

All eyes in the room landed on him.

"It was the dog that Gladiator saved. Sesshomaru was carrying it away from the hospital." He explained to Inspect.

"What?" Inspect said sternly, now giving Frisk her full attention.

"Remember I had to run out and collect all of the dogs…"

"Yea, terrible timing." Inspect frowned, as she obviously remembered an unwelcomed intrusion on an intimate moment.

"The dog that was revived that night was trying to talk."

"Are you sure?"

"Swear on my life!"

"No way…"

"Excuse me!" Koga angrily interrupted, as he began to rub at his temples. "Can you think of anything else that is ALPHA TEAM related that may be important to bring up now that Wraith is here?" He spat, as he scowled at Frisk.

"No, it's been pretty dead around here."

"Think hard, Frisk."

"Nothing is coming to mind…"

"God damn it! Are you assigning anyone to replace Quake's position on Alpha Team?!" Koga roared.

"No." Frisk said, simply.

Koga saw red.

"Is something going on, Fang?" Kagome asked hesitantly, as she studied him. "Your eyes are red." She whispered to him.

"No! Nothing, apparently, is going on _at all_!" He roared.

"Yup. It's been pretty dead around here." Frisk repeated, as he smirked. "We did find out a ton of information about The Order though. But, all that intelligence should be on your agency drive. Feel free to read through it and let me know if you have any questions." He said smoothly, as he turned his attention back on Inspect.

 _Two seconds. All it would take is two seconds to drive my hand into that asshole's heart and kill him._

"Fang?" Kagome said softly, as she took his hand in hers.

Koga snapped his head in her direction.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked seriously, as she studied him.

Koga growled loudly and stormed out of Inspect's office, leaving Kagome scrambling to catch up to him.

"Do you mind telling me what that was all about?"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Frisk was fucking with me." He grumbled, as if it explained everything.

It magically did and Kagome sighed loudly and stopped all further questioning.

"Are you sure you're up to training today, baby?" She said, instead. "I know my lack of scent is _really_ affecting you. If you'd rather just head out and relax, I'd understand." She said, worriedly.

"It'll do me some good to work off some energy while I'm like this." Koga admitted.

* * *

The Trolltunga cliffs in Odda, Hordaland were alive this night. Numerous large and wicked bonfires burned brightly, their flames hungrily licking upwards against the blackened sky as if in sheer defiance.

A full moon graced the sky, providing gentle shadows to the celebratory figures that were dancing below.

The sounds that rang out were mesmerizing. Instruments long used over the centuries, strummed and throbbed, echoing off against the landscape's many mountains. The pulse of the drums, the hum of the hurdy-gurdy and lyre and the low rumble of voices lending their deep pitches and tones to the music was as enchanting as it was hypnotic.

Tonight was the feast and most anticipated celebration for the Fjall Ulveskare (English: Mountain Wolf Pack). This celebration followed the mating ceremony of their Alpha's eldest son, Fenrir, and his mate, Ulfr.

Twenty five guest Alphas and the thousands of werewolves that were under their command, ate, drank, fornicated and danced in an open state of unbridled joy as they paid tribute to the Hordaland Alpha's eldest son on the night of his union.

However, there was one member of this festival who seemed most uninterested by the mirthful festivities taking place around him as he sat on his large and looming throne. The chair was as staggering and as intimidating as the muscled and ferocious demon that sat upon it. The royal structure was made of forged steel and bone, and it flickered against the flashing glow of the many fires that burned around it.

As did the shadows that slowly danced across Lucian's face.

His glowing teal eyes stared off into the night whilst he absentmindedly clutched the thick handle of his battle sword, affectionately named Dauoi (English: Death), in his clawed hand.

Lucian sighed in a low echoing growl as he glanced over to the empty throne that was stationed to his left.

 _Annika should be here tonight._ He thought angrily to himself, as the image of his former mate flashed into his mind.

Lucian ruled his pack with an iron fist, always had. Those who chose to remain in his large pack were welcome, and those who chose to leave were free to do so, just as Annika had chosen to do so many years ago.

 _Annika…_

Although their natural pairing had long been over, he had missed the woman. She had been his most trusted advisor and the mother of his twenty five children. Those children had grown up, _all_ had become Alphas of their own packs, and they now all sat and frolicked before him as his most honored guests at this evening's festivities.

Once upon a time, Lucian had thought that his bond with his children's mother would last an eternity, but nature apparently had other plans for them and their instinctual claim upon one other had abruptly ended. Once their bond was broken, his former mate had chosen to explore the world, alone.

Annika had been in his thoughts often, as of late. There was an impeding war upon his people, one that he would be leading personally, and he found that he sought her guidance. The Norwegian humans had been hunting his canine servants to the brink of extinction. Ninety percent of the wolf population in his mother country was gone and he could no longer stand idly by while the humans destroyed the delicate ecosystem that governed the life across his many territories.

Lucian was the oldest, strongest and most powerful demon in existence. Period.

He was the ruling Alpha of Hordaland and the many lush lands and mountainous peaks that fell within. He would soon be joining the other Norwegian werewolf packs, all led by his own children, and storm the country. The many human hunters that have been killing his canine brethren would be slaughtered, and a clear message would be sent.

 _We rule these lands. The wolves are under our protection._

As Lucian thought upon this, his instincts randomly growled softly to him in warning. It was a foreboding premonition that was becoming insistent over the past month, yet he couldn't exactly place what was wrong.

He instinctually knew that something big was coming his way… but he didn't know exactly what.

There was a sharp electric tingle that would run the length of his spine in warning daily, a warning that he had not felt since the battles he once waged against the Balkan holy users centuries ago.

Then there were the dreams. They whispered of burnt flesh and ash, death and purification. All he could remember upon waking were the images of a mysterious woman's stern brown eyes and her blazing arrows that would illuminate the sky.

He understood that very soon a very different kind of war would upon him… a most familiar and long forgotten one.

He felt it in his very bones.

* * *

As far as Koga could tell, from his place on the far side of the base's training center, being a holy user was completely boring. Training with such powers included lengthy explanations of mystical things and a lot of glowing. He had spent the first hour watching the flickering of Trinity's and Kagome's energies and listening to Trinity talk, before he completely lost interest. To his mate's credit, Kagome seemed to be most interested in her lessons and she was truly dedicating herself to following her teacher's instructions.

Currently, she was showing him how her blue shield worked and Trinity was explaining how she was unconsciously changing her spiritual concentration in which to call it forth.

Koga could have fallen asleep.

He would have several times over the past several hours… however each time he began to doze, Kagome would use her purification powers for something and he'd be startled half to death. So, he'd taken up staring at his claws as he extended and retracted them.

When Kagome and Trinity apparently took a break to hydrate, Kagome made her way over to him.

"Shouldn't you be doing something?" Kagome asked him, as she jogged over to his place in the corner of the room.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something? _Anything_?"

Koga huffed. "I'm not sure why I need to be here. I know how to fight. Sitting around watching you all day isn't training."

"No, it's not. So, how about you actually get involved?" She said, beginning to lose her patience.

"What would you like me to do?"

"I don't know, how about you let loose? Let the big bad wolf out or something!"

"That would destroy the training center." He said, smugly.

"So let's go outside."

Koga eyed her suspiciously.

"Then what would you have me do? Sit there and stare at you? It's not like I can rampage around the base. There's no point."

"You are infuriating." Kagome said, as she began to rub her temples. "Absolutely infuriating."

"But you love me." Koga quipped, as he smirked.

"Fight me." She said quickly, as she grabbed his hand. "Train on how to fight a holy user."

"Huh? No way!"

"That's an order, Agent Fang." She spat, as she tried to pull him over to the main sparing floor.

"Not happening, Agent Wraith." Koga said, just as quickly.

Kagome sucked her teeth and quickly swung around, aiming her fist so that it would intentionally miss his face.

Koga swiftly ducked.

"Hey! You can't be serious! I can't fight you!"

"Then defend yourself." She said quickly, as she began to charge him.

Koga quickly jumped up to the ceiling rafters.

"No!" He hollered down to her.

Kagome stared at him, trying to subdue the smile that was trying to spread across her face.

She immediately called forth her purification powers and Koga immediately cringed and scrambled to hold onto to one of the beams that made up the ceiling.

"Get down here, or I'll crank up the juice and you'll fall." She teased.

"NO!" He shouted, as he wrapped his body securely around the ceiling beam.

"Come on, Fang. This will actually help us. I want to know what level of purification you can withstand. If we become familiar with each other's abilities, it'll help us while we're out fighting together."

"Not happening."

"For Christ's sakes!" Kagome roared, as she stomped away to the far side of the training center.

Koga lazily watched her. He only became worried when he saw her draw her bow.

"Are you crazy!?" He roared, as she loaded an arrow into her weapon and aimed it at him.

The moment she set her arrow ablaze, Koga jumped down to the floor.

Kagome smiled and quashed her arrow's heavenly light.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She said sweetly, as she made her way over to him.

"A most illustrative example of how to escape . Well done, agent Fang. A fine demonstration of your wolf demon pride." Came a low and aloof voice, from the entranceway of the training center.

Kagome froze. "Looks like someone's schedule cleared up."

Sesshomaru, dressed in full tactical clothing, glided over to them, before he turned to address Kagome.

"What are you currently working on?"

"Barriers." She said quickly, as she glanced over at Trinity.

"Excellent. Get back to work." He ordered, dismissing her, as he focused his gaze upon Koga. "I will spar with you once I am done with your mate."

Kagome worriedly glanced in Koga's direction.

Koga looked completely amped.

 _This isn't going to end well._ Her mind warned.

Koga didn't wait for a signal to commence the fight, he immediately rushed Sesshomaru, and swung his extended claws at his face, smirking widely while he did so.

Sesshomaru gracefully sidestepped him, his face remaining completely indifferent as if he was not engaged in a battle at all.

After several claws and punches were thrown in Sesshomaru's direction, all of which missed, Koga began to become seriously pissed off.

As he made to lunge at him again, throwing himself on the ground and swiping at him with his feet, Sesshomaru grabbed a hold of Koga's vest and threw him into the far wall of the training center. Hard.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Kagome shouted, as she willed herself to stay in place.

"You are supposed to be training." Sesshomaru ordered, dismissively.

Kagome's eyes flew in the direction of the wall and landed upon Koga's form that was currently falling into an attack position.

 _His eyes are red._ Kagome noticed, as the dust cleared. _He's going bloodlust._ She worried, hysterically.

"He doesn't have my bonding scent right now! Remember? I accidentally... dropped it down... the toilet?!" Kagome shouted, confused. "This isn't a good idea, Sesshomaru. What if…"

"Silence!" Sesshomaru spat, as he charged Koga.

Before Sesshomaru was able to land a blow of his poison claws, Koga kicked off the wall, turned his body, and landed a harsh kick against Sesshomaru's chest, smiling savagely as he did so.

The sparing floor then erupted into blurs of green and yellow lights as the two combatants attacked each other.

Kagome couldn't make out what was happening, but after several seconds, she saw Koga fly upwards into the rafters before diving back down again and crashing his fist against the floor, creating a giant crater in the floor.

Sesshomaru dodged the punch, but struggled to regain his balance as the mini earthquake rumbled through the building.

Koga took advantage, not pausing even for a moment, as he leapt back into the air, baring his teeth, and aiming his clawed hand straight for Sesshomaru's heart.

Sesshomaru responded by releasing his demonic energy, the blast of which threw Koga's airborne strike, and him, back against the far wall.

Koga snarled and once again took off, his right hand glowing in neon yellow light.

"Goraishi!" He shouted, as he swung his hand in Sesshomaru's direction.

Sesshomaru's own hand flew to his hip, unleashed Bakusaiga, and swung it gracefully in Koga's direction.

"Bakusaiga!"

The two energy blasts struck each other, but unfortunately, Sesshomaru's power was much, much stronger.

When Sesshomaru's sword's green poisonous light broke through Koga's yellow electricity, Kagome and Trinity instantly reacted.

A giant cloud of smoke engulfed the training center and when the dust finally settled, Koga could be seen protectively wrapped within Kagome's blue shield, and the training center was engulfed within the walls of Trinity's sparkling barrier, protecting the structure.

"That's enough!" Kagome hollered, as she marched over to the two demonic combatants that were scowling at each other with crimson and golden eyes. "Are you trying to blow up the building? Sparing is one thing, all out fighting with each other is another. If you're going to do that, go somewhere else!" She roared.

Sesshomaru crossed his arms across his chest and swung his eyes toward the ceiling, like an angry child.

Koga was growling loudly, his muscles twitching.

 _He's not going to stop._ Kagome realized.

"Can you hear me?" She said softly, as she approached him.

As Kagome's body blocked his vision, his posture swung to the side to look around her.

Koga was moving like a true predator.

"Baby, it's over. Please stop." Kagome whispered.

Koga ignored her and quickly took off in a blur, his Goraishi claws gleaming against the light as he attempted to swiftly remove Sesshomaru's head from his body.

Sesshomaru smirked and threw out his arm, grabbing a hold of Koga by his neck and halting his attack, before slamming him down against the floor.

"Know your place!" He growled, as he allowed deep black waves of his aura to ghost around his body, treating Koga to a sampling of his heavy demonic and suffocating pressure. "You have many more centuries to go before your soul evolves to my level, _wolf_. It would serve you well to remember that." He hissed in warning.

Koga's own aura, which had already been visible throughout the entirety of the fight, blasted forward, encircling him in a black and heavy cloud and causing the room to tremor.

"Not bad, but still not enough." Shesshomaru whispered, as he released him and smugly walked away. "Instead of studying your nails, you should be training. Without ever seeking out challenge, your demonic abilities will never advance, no matter how much your soul evolves over time." He chided.

Koga snarled and got to his feet.

"Stop!" Kagome roared as she forcibly connected to him, blasting her soul around his.

Koga's posture immediately drooped and Kagome ran over to him.

She quickly searched his body for injuries finding many bruises and scratches, but otherwise, he seemed to be physically okay. However, his mental status seemed to be another story entirely.

"Back away." Koga growled at her, very obviously fighting against her spiritual hold on him.

"The fight's over. Maybe the next time it'll end differently. But for today, it's over."

"No, it is not."

"Yes, it really is."

"Wraith. It is your turn." Sesshomaru said, smugly.

"Are you serious? Where the hell would you like to spar? You two pretty much destroyed this place."

Sesshomaru smiled.

"This location will do. You have five minutes to prepare." He said, casually.

"Unbelievable…" Kagome muttered under her breath.

"Get out of the way." Koga ordered, his eyes fixed on Sesshomaru. "This is my fight."

"I get it. There will be many other opportunities to fight him. You're done today. Just please go and sit down."

Koga finally dropped his eyes from their hold on Sesshomaru and looked at his mate. He angrily studied her for a moment before he turned and walked away.

Kagome took a deep sigh of relief as she set off to grab her bow and arrows.

"Pssst." Trinity whispered to her. "Take these." He said hurriedly, as he pushed several of his rings into her hands.

"Thanks, but what do you expect me to do with these?"

"Channel into them and see if a weapon forms. The weapon should represent your soul. You might as well try it out and see what happens. Couldn't hurt."

Kagome sighed and pushed the rings onto all of her fingers with exception to her thumbs. She took special care in placing one of the rings over her engagement ring, being careful not to scratch it. Once done, she then proceeded to the large hole that was now the sparing area, bow in hand and arrows affixed to her back.

"I'm ready whenever you are." She alerted, as her eyes flew to Sesshomaru.

The demon nodded and walked over to her, his sword already in hand.

 _He's starting off with the sword today?_ Kagome realized.

"Show me what you've learned." Sesshomaru ordered, as he smiled and took off in her direction.

 _Oh, I'll show you alright. I'll show you what happens when you try to hurt my mate's pride._

Kagome channeled her purification powers from the start, forcing the holy heat around her in a current, just like she had learned. Only, instead of pushing her energy along in a calm and controlled direction, she used her anger to blast it along its predetermined course, compressing it to her body and whipping it around.

The entire training center lit up, forcing the onlookers to squint their eyes.

Sesshomaru actually stumbled in his gait, before taking two cautionary steps backwards from her.

Kagome would always remember the look of shock in his golden eyes and the open gape of his mouth as the man tensed.

She could also hear a loud hissing sound coming from the back of the training center.

Kagome pushed forward, going on the offensive, attempting to land a flurry of punches and kicks on Sesshomaru, who was, scrambling to appear confident as he escaped her.

Sesshomaru jumped high into the air and floated there, studying her as if unsure of what to do.

Kagome immediately loaded an arrow into her bow, forcing the arrow head to come to life, before she released it in his direction.

Sesshomaru blasted his own demonic aura out and around him while he swung his body to the side, missing the projectile.

Now with a layer of his own energy for protection, he attempted to dive out of the air and swipe her with his claws.

Kagome flinched before crouching and springing back up in the hopes of landing an uppercut to his face.

Sesshomaru ducked to the side to avoid the punch and Kagome managed to instead burn and slice his arm with her… own… claws?

 _What the fuck?_ Kagome mentally sputtered, as she stared down at her closed fists.

Four claws made out of white holy light were extending outward from her rings.

 _I have fucking claws!_ She realized. _How badass am I right now?_

"Pay attention!" Sesshomaru roared, as he angrily swung his sword and tried to slice through her torso.

Kagome immediately backflipped away, crouched low to the floor, and swept his legs out from under him.

She then straddled his chest and raised her clawed hand up in the air as if to bring her holy talons down into his heart.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and instantly burned red, he then immediately pushed her off of him with all of his might.

Kagome went flying backwards, but had the presence of mind to cancel her purification powers and throw up her shield before impact.

She hit the wall in a loud thud, before she rolled out of the fall and jumped back onto her feet, assuming her fighting stance.

"That's enough for today." Sesshomaru called out coldly to her, in a low demonic echo.

"But we just started!" Kagome spat, in disbelief.

"I must return to my work. I shall return tomorrow."

"Fine." Kagome said casually, as she studied Sesshomaru's glowing red eyes. "See you then."

 _I got you to lose control for a second there._ She thought smugly to herself.

Sesshomaru nodded to her and walked off, quickly exiting the training center.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Trinity shouted as he ran over to her, phone in hand.

"Are you recording me?" Kagome teased, as he approached her.

"I was streaming the fight so that Fang could watch you from the back." He said, honestly.

Kagome dipped her head into the view of Trinity's phone. "Did you see my claws?!" She shouted, excitedly.

Koga looked to still be in bloodlust form, but he savagely smiled at her.

"I did, baby." He purred. "You also tried to use one of my moves." He rumbled in a low and seductive echo, as he ran his tongue over his extended fangs. "Very sexy."

 _Someone's definitely very turned on right now._

Trinity sighed and cut the video connection which prompted Koga to make his way over to them.

"How do you feel about taking a quick ride with me off base?" She asked him, smiling.

"I'd rather stop home first." He growled, as he sized her up and his bonding scent possessively wafted over her.

"I want to stop at a jewelry store." Kagome said sweetly, as she handed Trinity back his rings.

Koga chuckled. "Of course you do."

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!"

All three agents startled at the shouted words and all eyes turned in the direction of the entrance.

Frisk's eyes were wide and he shook in disbelief as he looked at the level of damage within the walls of the recently restored training center.

"Fang and Sesshomaru happened here." Kagome said quickly, as she gathered her things. "Destroyed the place."

"Unbelievable! Do you have any sense of courtesy for the other people who like to train here?" Frisk said, angrily. "Just look at this place! How selfish of you!"

Koga began to growl lowly in warning.

"Yea, yea. You're having a bad day." Frisk translated. "You're always having a bad day, Fang."

* * *

Rabbi Mikhal checked his busy schedule for the day and sighed. He had one wedding, one bris, Torah studies and a shiva on his calendar for the day.

He smiled to himself.

He was always happy to serve his people. If he was busy, then he was needed, and being needed fulfilled the purpose of his position.

Mikhal thought upon this as he absentmindedly stole a glance at his office's mirror.

He had the appearance of a thirty year old man, however, he was one hundred and twenty five years old.

 _Stolen time._ His mind whispered, causing him to frown and look away.

He truly believed that he was put on this Earth for a purpose. His visions of such a purpose began to make themselves known to him before the first world war, solely in his dreams. The balance of light and darkness was shifting and the darkness, if left unchecked, would destroy them all. The story transcended all religions and faiths. It was the simple story of harmony, the basic principle of all beliefs.

He was here to restore the delicate balance and he was given supreme divine power in which to do so. However, his work required time; enough time to reverse the overwhelming hold of evil on this world. Time that he, as a human, did not have much of.

In order to see his mission through, he needed to stay alive.

Unfortunately the only way he could do so required a most grievous sin.

 _I have no other choice. I must lead, and therefore, I must live._ He thought to himself, as he took a sip of his 'special' Yayin (English: wine).

He had dedicated his life to finding others like him, a prophet if you will, building a congregation of loyal followers. Holy users who dedicated their lives to restoring _the order_ of things, happily joined him of their own free will. His special congregation, outside of his daily religious one, had taken a little over a century to build. It encompassed holy users of all nationalities, sexualities, genders, faiths and races. All worked alongside each other in a state of peace, equality and respect. A perfect image of tolerance and harmony. A shinning example that showed that humans were in fact capable of seeing passed their many differences and had the ability to group together towards a goal much greater than the sum of its individual parts. The Order was an utopia built upon the powers of those gifted by the light.

"We will shine our light brightly upon this world and cast out the shadows." Mikah whispered to himself. "Every last one of them."

* * *

Anatomy studied the four deep gashes and surrounding third degree burns that blackened Sesshomaru's arm in worry. He had fought the urge to suck his teeth when the General had first casually rolled up his sleeve to show him the damage.

"How did this happen?" He asked curiously, as he gently placed his hands against Sesshomaru's skin.

"This happened during a training session during Wraith's employment of her purification powers." He said coldly, as if he were discussing nothing more than the weather.

"Wraith is a holy user? What does that mean?" Anatomy asked curiously.

"A holy user is one who uses divine spirituality to purify." Sesshomaru answered, quickly.

Anatomy seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"This is the end result of purification energy on a demon?" He asked, as his hands began to glow in a soothing and gentle green light.

"No. This is the result of a high ranking holy user's purification energy on a high ranking demon. Any lower level demon would have been immediately turned to ash." He said casually, as his blackened flesh began to slowly become pink before his very eyes.

"Fascinating. All of this information must be entered into our database." Anatomy said, sternly.

"Indulge yourself."

" _You_ , General, must enter this into the database, along with any other pertinent information related to demonic and holy user abilities and their resulting injuries."

"I will place it upon my 'To Do' list." Sesshomaru said, sarcastically.

"Am I the only one on this base that cares about our database?" Anatomy said, incredulously to himself. "Without information, we cannot heal."

"Understood."

"And, you still haven't entered one thing about dog demons into the system. What are you waiting for?" Anatomy continued, as he finished healing Sesshomaru's burns.

Sesshomaru sucked his teeth in annoyance.

"I find myself busy with running this base and preventing and fighting wars."

"What about these gashes?" Anatomy inquired, ignoring him, as he now focused on healing the four angry slashes on Sesshomaru's arm.

"Claw marks."

"Did Fang do this?!"

"He most certainly did not. That mongrel would be lucky to so much as scratch a demon of my status." Sesshomaru said, smugly. "Agent Wraith caused that particular injury in addition to the burns." He said, proudly.

"How?"

"She used a Tekko-Kagi type weapon."

"Excuse me?"

"Ninja claws." Sesshomaru translated. "Made of her own spiritual energy." He clarified, as the corner of his mouth turned slightly upward in a muted smile.

"Getting injured apparently excites you." Anatomy mumbled, as he finished up.

"Physical injury and pain are things that have become lost on me over the years. To encounter one that can inflict either, is quite thrilling. It offers me an opportunity for progression that I have been without for centuries." Sesshomaru said, with a trace of excitement in his low voice. "This pleases me." He admitted, as he openly smiled.

* * *

Koga scowled as he drove into town.

He was taking Kagome to the same jewelry store that he had worked with in designing her engagement ring.

He had wanted to stop home first and ravish her, but Kagome was dead set on leaving before the jewelry store closed for the day.

Between his current state of sexual frustration, his bonding imbalance, Inuyasha's presence on the base, Frisk being the same obnoxious and irritating asshole that he always was, and his easy defeat at the hands of Sesshomaru…, he was in a _foul mood_.

"You look pissed."

"The sooner we get home, the sooner I'll feel better." Koga promised.

"Is this about Sesshomaru?"

Koga growled loudly and Kagome entwined her hand with his.

"There will be another chance to fight. Take today as a learning experience. You can't win them all."

Koga angrily snatched his hand away and Kagome sighed.

"I'm just trying to help. Don't take your anger out on me. I didn't do anything to you."

Koga took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. It's just that…"

"Your pride is sore?"

 _Yes._

"No, Kagome. It's just that, what he said back there… he was… _right_." Koga winced, as he choked out the word.

Kagome's brows furrowed as she tried to comprehend what he was referring to.

"I don't challenge my demonic abilities. Since most of the daiyoki have died out, I've never really had to."

Kagome studied him and said nothing.

"No one has ever come close to defeating me in battle since I became the leader of the United Demon Wolf Tribe. Life has been pretty easy. I've gotten lazy."

"So why don't you train with me then? We could take it slow, and now that I have better control of my abilities, I truly believe that I won't accidentally hurt you. You have me, use me."

Koga frowned.

Engaging in combat with his mate wasn't his idea of training. If felt wrong in so many senses of the word.

"I'll think about it." Koga rumbled, as he pulled up to the store and walked around the car, opening Kagome's door for her.

"Thank you." She said softly, as they took off hand in hand.

Upon entry into the store, Kagome immediately engaged one of the sales people while Koga strolled around and peeked at the many pieces in the display cases.

He was immediately drawn to the section showcasing wedding rings.

 _It would obviously have to be silver._ He mentally acknowledged, as he looked around.

Kagome worked with the sales person in sizing each of her fingers. It only took a few minutes for her to place her order and flank Koga's side.

When she saw what he was looking at, she beamed at him.

"Any ideas?"

"A couple." He admitted, as he tapped his head. "I have a bunch of designs right here."

"Hmmmm. I wonder if the ring you give me will have teeth." She jested, as she giggled.

Koga couldn't help but smile.

"Of course it will. It has to match."

"Of course." Kagome agreed, as she flagged over the sales person and asked her to size Koga's ring finger.

Once she committed the size to memory, she took off to examine some of the other sections of the store.

One section dedicated to ivory caught her attention, but in the worst of ways.

"Excuse me." She called out, as she once again caught the sales women's attention and flagged her over. "Are you seriously selling ivory here? You're promoting the killing of endangered elephants and the poaching of their tusks!"

The woman blanched before she scrambled to console her.

"We _do not_ sell real ivory products here. We are _not_ that kind of business." She said, quickly. "I can prove it to you." She assured her, as she opened up the case and showed her the documentation associated with each piece.

 _Always causing trouble._ Koga thought to himself from the other side of the store, as he watched his mate grill the saleswoman for a grueling ten minutes.

"Okay. I believe you. Thank you for explaining." Kagome said, now smiling.

The woman bowed to her and set off to help other customers, while Kagome was left staring at the case.

 _Bone._ She thought to herself. _A bone ring would be… absolutely perfect for him._ She realized. _Especially one fashioned out of wolf teeth… and maybe... finished wood._ She thought, as a slow smile stretched across her face. _I could have a symbol that represents me carved into it in some way, as well._

Kagome chuckled at her brilliance and began working through designs in her head as she set off to grab Koga and go home.


	25. Chapter 25

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 25

"Try not to lose this one." Anatomy said cheerfully, as he handed the vial of Kagome's bonding scent over to her.

"Thank, God!" Kagome said, physically heaving in relief as she uncapped the vial and placed a drop of her special scent upon her chest and frantically rubbed the pheromones into her skin.

It had been a long week and a half to get to this point. A _very_ long week and a half.

So many things had happened during this time. For starters, Trinity's stay on the base had been extended per her request. The man didn't seem to mind staying at the base very much. He had recently met, and become quite taken with, one of the new recruits that were stationed on her base.

If Kagome had to guess, Trinity would most likely be requesting permanent transfer to the South Korean base at some point. However, that had yet to been seen.

Koga and Kagome had also returned to work full time after their 'vacation' was over and the couple was back to desperately seeking out time with one another in-between their demanding work schedules and their newly required training regimens.

Additionally, Koga, had begun to take training with his demonic abilities much more seriously. He had not yet embraced the idea of training with Kagome, however, he and Sesshomaru had been dedicated to honestly training with each other each and every day. The training sessions between the two men, seemed to promote a newfound respect amongst one another. As far as Kagome could tell, Koga was openly seeking guidance from the man and studying his teachings. As a result, Koga's demonic abilities had began to vastly improve.

She couldn't have been more proud of him.

Also, there had been word that two of Sesshomaru's sleeper agents, comprised of holy users, had been able to infiltrate His Immaculacy's German congregation. Their information was limited as they were of low ranking within The Order, however, it was a step in the right direction.

Inuyasha's body situation was given a very low priority on Sesshomaru's 'To-Do List' in light of the ongoing situation with The Order.

Inuyasha, being in the body of a ten year old dog, was the equivalent of seventy years old in dog years. Therefore, any time that wasn't spent sleeping in Sesshomaru's office, was dedicated to carefree exploration of the base. With exception to Kagome, Sesshomaru and Koga, no one else on the base took him to be anything more than a simple dog who just so happened to belong to the General.

Inuyasha also furthered this view by refusing to speak when other people were around.

However, Frisk had his doubts and spent a lot of his time attempting to communicate with the canine, who did nothing more than ignore him.

All in all, life… for now, was good.

The only thing that had become worrisome as of late, aside from Koga's on edge state due to the ongoing bonding scent situation, were the dreams that Kagome had been having.

What had once started off as simple erotic fantasies featuring her mate and the main character of her favorite book series, recently changed into something darker and more urgent as of late. Upon waking, all she would remember was the werewolf's echoing voice, speaking to her in urgent and hushed whispers and his glowing teal eyes seeing through to her very soul. It left her with a terrible sense of foreboding upon waking, yet she couldn't understand exactly what was going on, or remember what was said in his urgent meetings with her.

 _I have to lay off the books._ Kagome thought to herself, as she made her way to the field behind the training center.

The training center itself was currently under construction and unusable, courtesy of her two favorite demons' recent decimation of a giant portion of the inner structure.

As she made her way over to the field, she noticed that Koga was sparing with Trinity on his lunch break while Inuyasha lazily watched. Koga was easily ducking all of the man's aggressive attacks, and was practicing the use of his black aura as a shield to protect himself from Trinity's daggers. It wasn't as though he truly needed to. Trinity's holy powers barely affected her mate.

In the middle of the match, Koga swiftly ducked one of Trinity's punches and his head quickly swung over in her direction.

He had apparently picked up on her scent.

Koga immediately abandoned the fight and took off at break neck speed, a whirlwind forming over him, as he desperately ran over to her.

Before Kagome knew what was happening, she felt herself being crushed within his arms, while his face planted itself in the crook of her neck. He was taking loud pulls of her scent and she could feel him melt into her and grumble low in his throat in pleasure as his bonding scent immediately washed over her.

"I have missed… _this_." He whispered in a low growl, as his clawed hand cupped her face and he pulled her mouth to his, taking her in a deep and hungry kiss.

"Me too." Kagome said softly, trying to ignore the heat of his erection that had slowly began to burn against her lower stomach… and its effect on her.

"Hey! That's so rude!" Trinity called over to them, as he checked his watch. "We only have twenty minutes left, Fang. Finish up here!"

"Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away." Koga whispered conspiratorially into Kagome's ear, as he began to nibble on her earlobe.

Kagome chuckled.

"Worry about getting laid, later! Get back over here!" Trinity demanded.

"I can't move right now!" Koga shouted over to him. "I need a few minutes."

Trinity stared at him for a moment before he deciphered Koga's meaning.

"Gross! You're just like a damn animal!"

"An animal… whose mate is in heat." Koga whispered seductively against Kagome's ear, sending chills through her body.

"We only have twenty minutes until we have to go back to the office." Kagome said sadly, as she tried her best to think straight.

"You know that I'll make _every single one_ of those minutes count." He promised, as he abandoned his teeth's gentle ministrations on her ear and held her eyes with his own.

"Let's go." Kagome whispered, before she could stop herself.

In a second's time, she felt herself being flung over Koga's shoulder as he took off at top speed towards the condemned training center's stairwell.

"HEY! What about training?!" Trinity called out after them, in disbelief. "This is important!"

"They do that often. You should get used to it." Came a smug voice, from behind him.

Trinity immediately startled.

"Oops! I'm sorry I scared you! I keep forgetting that you're blind." Frisk chuckled, as he made his way over to him.

Trinity spun around to address him.

His time on this particular base had so far been enjoyable; however, there was one agent here that truly had a gift for getting under his skin.

"For the last time… I AM NOT BLIND!" Trinity roared. "My spiritual powers fade out my eyes, but I assure you, they work just fine!"

"Yea… I still don't believe you. As far as I'm concerned, if you don't have pupils or irises, you can't see." Frisk said, as he suddenly clapped his hands in front of Trinity's face without warning.

Trinity immediately startled once again.

"God damn it!"

"Thou shall not take the Lord's name in vain." Frisk said, innocently. "Isn't that right, _Trinity_?"

Trinity angrily swung a fist at him.

Frisk easily grabbed Trinity's outreached arm and tucked it under his own armpit while shifting his position, getting behind him.

The move effectively subdued Trinity and halted any other movements that he could have made.

Trinity could have sworn he heard stifled snickering coming from Inuyasha's position on the grass.

"Thou shall not attack the second in command of Alpha Team." Frisk teased, from behind him. "This isn't hockey, Canuck. You won't be able to beat me."

Trinity snorted and summoned his holy daggers into his hands.

Frisk immediately released him before the blade of Trinity's weapon could fully extend and cut into his arm.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" Trinity said, smugly.

" _Eh?_ Not at all. _I'm_ not blind. It was easy for me to see what you were doing and counter." Frisk said, calmly. "Would you like me to describe your attack to you so you could visualize it?"

"You're nothing more than a bully!" Trinity spat, once again losing his patience at Frisk's constant insinuation that he was not able to see. "You've done nothing but harass me since I set foot on this base."

Frisk instantly became offended.

"I am _not_ a bully. I _hate_ bullies. I just like to tease you, because I think you're pretty cool." He said, smoothly. "Also, I am from North America, just like you. We're border brothers! We're practically kindred spirits!"

"Then why aren't you stationed on a North American base, Yankee? Were the U.S. bases not good enough for you?"

"I started at the New York base. But, because I always wanted to be on Alpha Team, I transferred here many years ago. Specialty teams are only located on the base that houses the corresponding department head. The last two reconnaissance department heads were located on this South Korean base."

"Oh."

"We should both be buddies. I think we have a lot of things in common."

"Really?"

"No. Not really. But, I guess you're so blind that you can't even see through such an obvious lie."

"Motherfu…"

* * *

Sesshomaru stared at his computer screen and scowled.

 _This is taking too long._ He thought to himself, as he read through his sleeper agents' reports, noting that they haven't yet been able to make any headway.

Apparently, once the members of the Japanese congregation had disappeared without any trace, security in The Order's numerous other locations had significantly increased in response. This was especially true in the German congregation that had gone into a complete state of lock down. Only those who had many years of dedicated service under their belts were allow to see, talk to, or correspond with His Immaculacy. The two sleeper agents that had infiltrated the congregation hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of the man in their entire time there.

In addition, there were numerous cameras littering the structure and every room included a guard. All movements were being tracked and the two agents were not able to roam around freely, limiting their information gathering abilities.

"There has to be a way to speed things along." Sesshomaru whispered to himself.

He was interrupted by a soft knock on his office door.

"Enter." He called out, coldly.

 _Where has she been? I summoned her over ten minutes ago._

When his door opened and Kagome entered the room, he was greeted to a most beautiful, and most sorely missed, scent.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to close his eyes and lose himself in it.

"What can I do for you?" Kagome asked cheerfully, as she took a seat.

Sesshomaru looked up from his computer to glance at her.

She looked completely relaxed, and slightly flushed. There was also a minute scent of something else that clung to her.

Sesshomaru chose to ignore it, coming to a clear conclusion on what had delayed the agent's arrival to his office.

"Our sleeper agents have not yet been able to make any headway in their investigation." Sesshomaru informed her, in his most serious voice.

Kagome sucked her teeth. "I wish we were able to send in agents with gifts of invisibility, or super human hearing, or _something_. Having to rely on holy users for spying really sucks. We just don't have spy like abilities."

"We have no other option. Any gifted agent that we send in will immediately be identified as one of 'The Corrupted' and killed. We can only use holy users to infiltrate their congregations. We have no choice. Meanwhile, each day that we go without information, many people are sacrificed."

It was at this time that Inuyasha casually strutted into Sesshomaru's office, having been able to open the door himself. He took off to the corner of the room and lay down on the floor, yawning widely.

"It must be tiring roaming around aimlessly all day." Sesshomaru chided, his eyes instantly narrowing as he studied his brother.

"That's your fault. Not mine." Inuyasha spat. "If you would just fix me, I wouldn't have to roam around all day. Do you have any idea how boring my life is?"

Sesshomaru waved his hand dismissively.

"By the way, Kagome, you may want to have a little talk with Frisk and Trinity. They got into a fight a little while ago. Frisk keeps pushing the 'blind' thing and Trinity finally lost his shit."

Kagome sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to them."

"And _you_ …" He said, turning to address his brother. "… need to update the database. Anatomy was cursing you out under his breath this morning. What are you waiting for?"

Sesshomaru scowled.

"Don't get all bent out of shape. He was talking to himself, not badmouthing you to others." Inuyasha sighed.

"Where were you at the time?" Sesshomaru inquired.

"In the hospital, roaming around. In this body, I might as well be a ghost. No one ever pays me any mind. It's like I don't even exist." He grumbled. "Oh, and that reminds me, the foosball table went missing from the Technology department's third floor again. They're probably going to make a big stink about it."

"You're kidding?!" Kagome said, while shaking her head. "Who keeps doing that?"

"The Interrogation department. They like to bully the techies and get them all bent out of shape. They find it amusing. Since none of the techies ever have any reason to visit the Interrogation department's floor, they never figure it out."

Both Kagome and Sesshomaru just stared at Inuyasha in disbelief.

"Also, the group that was captured from The Order have been working together to figure out a way to escape. They whisper about it during the night. You may want to look into that." Inuyasha said on a yawn, as he closed his eyes.

"How did you make it into the prison area? That requires a keycard and a retinal scan!" Sesshomaru said, angrily.

"If I stand by a door long enough, someone will eventually open it for me. I'm the General's dog. I'm harmless."

"Too bad we can't send him in to infiltrate The Order. He'd make a really good spy." Kagome said, absentmindedly to herself.

The statement garnered Sesshomaru's full attention. He thought upon it for a moment, until the ringing of his phone snapped him back into reality.

Kagome watched as he answered the phone and waited for the caller to begin speaking. A minute passed before Sesshomaru reached for the remote stationed on his desk and turned on the large flat screen television that was in his far wall.

* * *

"Breaking news from Norway this morning." A glum blonde female reported, from Frisk's television screen. "We are getting reports of a massive slaughter of rural farmers taking place late yesterday evening. At this time, thousands are being reported dead throughout the country. It appears that the sweeping damage was created by, what we can only presently call, the work of an unseen force. Preliminary forensics have concluded that these attacks seem to somehow be animal related. However, it remains unclear as to what type of animal could have created such a state of carnage in several different areas of the country, all at the same time."

The woman paused to shake her head in disbelief for a moment before continuing.

"There are rumors that warnings written in blood were left at the scenes, all written in the ancient Norse language. As such, assumptions of an animal rights related terrorist attack cannot be overlooked. Tensions have been high in the country since the Norwegian Minister of Environment has allowed the killing of one of the last six wolf packs within a wolf protection zone this past January." She said, sadly. "Norway has declared a state of martial law until the government can fully investigate and understand the basis and manner of these attacks."

Frisk scowled and turned off the television.

 _I wonder how much of the world will be left to save in another few centuries time?_ He thought angrily to himself, before the sounds of Fang entering his office, located on the other side of Frisk's wall, interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, Fang. What are your thoughts on the Norway situation?" Frisk asked, in a low whisper.

He immediately heard the shuffling that was taking place next door quiet.

 _He can hear everything I say in here._ Frisk realized. _Plus, he intentionally eavesdrops, anyway._

Koga appeared in his doorway a moment later.

"What Norway situation?" He asked, curiously.

 _Yep. He can hear everything._ Frisk realized, now thinking about all the different ways in which he could use their close proximity to one another to fuck with him.

"Put on the news." He said simply. "A bunch of farmers were killed. Most likely in retribution for the wolf situation that's been going on over there."

Koga's head tilted to the side in wonder and Frisk quickly noticed that Fang, for the first time in a long time, looked completely relaxed and content.

"What wolf situation?"

Frisk sucked his teeth. "Do you keep up on current events _at all_?"

"No."

Frisk was about to throw a pen at him, when a high priority alert hit his inbox and grabbed his attention.

"We're all being summoned to Wraith's office."

* * *

Mikhal studied the pictures that Amber, his most trusted advisor, had handed him in disgust. The photos depicted a macabre scene of several humans with large claw marks slashing against their throats.

"These were smuggled to me by a friend working in the Norwegian government." She whispered. "This wasn't the work of bears." She hissed. "What do _you_ think did this?"

He immediately understood what Amber was implying.

"How many and what type?"

"Twenty six different attacks were conducted at the same exact time during the night. Small villages were practically decimated. In my estimation, in total, we're talking about several hundred. As far as the type of demon, I truly have no idea."

Mikhal sighed in aggravation. "It is never ending. The darkness in this world must be vanquished."

"I agree, your Immaculacy. However, if all goes smoothly, we'll soon be able to eliminate large numbers of The Tainted and The Corrupted at any given time. We'll finally have the advantage!"

Mikhal nodded.

"However, in the interim, how many holy users do we have at our disposal that can be sent in to Norway?"

"If we call in to our surrounding congregations, Germany included, we'd have about three hundred."

 _We are always so very outnumbered._ Mikhal thought, sadly to himself.

"We will send in a band of several of our best to scout for, and hunt down, this mysterious demonic force. Our followers are not to engage the enemy until we understand what we are up against. Upon their word, we will send in reinforcements and then decide on how we will retaliate."

"As you wish." Amber hummed, as she took off to make the appropriate arrangements.

* * *

"Our objective is to attempt to track down the group that is responsible for the massacres and report back our findings." Kagome said sternly, as her eyes glanced over the eager members of her Alpha Team. "The largest level of carnage was within the county of Hordaland in Odda. So, that's where we'll start."

"What intelligence do we have so far?" Frisk asked, his demeanor all business.

"Norwegian forensics teams have determined the presence of wolf hair at the scenes of all the crimes. However, the wounds that littered the bodies of the deceased were not consistent with wolf teeth or claws. They don't know what to make of them." Kagome advised, as she began to pass around pictures of the victim's bodies from the crime scenes.

Most of her group flinched when viewing them.

"Christ. This is brutal. What could have done this?" Trace, sputtered. "Bears?"

"Bears weren't a match."

"Tigers?" Terrain asked. "The sabertooth kind." She elaborated, morbidly joking.

Koga studied the photos suspiciously, but said nothing.

"There are also the messages that were left behind. They translate to 'we protect the wolves'." She said, calmly. "So we're most likely dealing with a very pissed off animal right's group."

"What better way to send a message about hunting than to hunt the hunters and savagely kill them by use of animals." Mystic quipped, shaking her head in disbelief. "How absolutely cruel."

"When do we leave?" Koga said hurriedly, as he studied Kagome's stern face.

"That depends on you, Fang. How long would it take you to round up some of your wolves?"

"Give me thirty minutes." Koga said, smiling.

"You heard him. Everyone gear up and meet me on the runway in thirty. Pack your bags assuming a few days stay. Bring your heavy winter tactical clothing, food, weapons, and warm clothes with you. We've got a fourteen hour flight to look forward to."

* * *

"Who is Asbjørn and what is his relation to Caithwulf?" Koga grumbled to Kagome from his seat on the plane, as he looked up from her Kindle.

"Read and you'll find out." Kagome said, as she smirked. "It's nice to see that you're actually reading the storyline."

"This actually isn't that bad." Koga admitted, as his eyes scanned over the electronic reading device.

"How far have you gotten?"

"I'm halfway through the first book." He whispered. "Lucian just killed the Northwulf's Alpha and took over the pack." He grumbled, as he absentmindedly rubbed his chin. "I think Frisk was right. The person who is writing this is definitely familiar with wolf demons." He said, a trace of conspiracy lacing his voice.

"You're finding a lot of similarities?" Kagome asked, as she smiled to herself.

 _If only you knew who the author was. You'd lose it, Koga._

"In many ways. Yet…" He hesitated. "… they do things a lot differently." He admitted. "Their women…" He trailed off.

"… can lead as lone alphas. They don't need to be an alpha male's mate in order to hold that position. They earn the position based upon their own strength." Kagome finished for him.

"Yea." Koga said, becoming mystified. "That's crazy."

Kagome frowned. "Not crazy at all. They're not much different from the Vikings. Females could become Earls without receiving the title based upon marriage. They just had to earn it. Women also fought alongside the men on raids and in war." Kagome said, proudly.

"It's still crazy to me."

"Says the last Japanese alpha… to his female human boss." Kagome said, quickly.

Koga frowned. "I just mean that it's a much different mindset than any of us had back in those days. I wasn't saying anything bad. It's awesome. Really!"

"Uh huh." Kagome chuckled.

"Prepare for landing." Came the voice of the pilot over the speakers of the plane.

"Thank God! This has been the longest flight ever!" Frisk roared, from his seat in the back.

* * *

"Seven more deaths since yesterday." Sesshomaru growled, as he stared at his computer.

The situation was becoming dire. He couldn't wait any longer for his sleeper agents to provide him with intel. If he didn't do something soon, there would most likely be another dozen deaths in the next twenty four hours. On top of the frustrating situation with The Order, he now had the Norway slaughters to deal with. He had to make something happen and he had to do it quickly.

Sesshomaru sucked his teeth and picked up his phone.

 _It may be crazy enough to actually work._ He thought to himself, as he peeked at his brother's sleeping form.

"Umi, send Trinity in here. I have a mission for him." He said, smoothly.

"Yes, General." Umi said, before disconnecting the line.

Trinity entered the office several minutes later and quickly took a seat at his desk.

"Trinity, I would like you to infiltrate the New Synagogue of Mainz. Go there, disguised as a tourist, and find a way to get the members of the congregation there to notice your abilities. Allow them to take you in." He advised.

"Yes, Sir."

"Once inside, I want you to report back your findings. The entire synagogue has cameras and guards littered throughout. All movement there is restricted and dangerous. I need you to succeed where our other two sleeper agents are failing."

"I mean no disrespect, Sir. But just how would you like me to do that?" Trinity asked, honestly.

"A blind holy user bumbling around would most certainly be written off more easily than one with sight." Sesshomaru whispered. "Especially, a blind holy user and his loyal seeing eye dog." He continued, as he stole another glance at Inuyasha. "And, not just any seeing eye dog, a seeing eye dog that can actually secretly talk and report back his independent findings. A dog would be completely disregarded."

Trinity frowned.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." He stammered.

"Inuyasha, get up and approach. I know you are listening." Sesshomaru said aloofly, his eyes never leaving Trinity's.

Inuyasha immediately opened his eyes and padded over to Sesshomaru's desk.

"Do I have to wear one of those harnesses?" He grumbled.

Trinity promptly fell out of his chair and Sesshomaru scowled at him, very obviously not amused.

"Get a hold of yourself, agent Trinity. Understand the situation."

"I'm sorry. Yes, Sir. I just wasn't expecting…"

"… a talking dog?" Inuyasha grumbled. "No one does."

"Pack your things, you will leave tonight. I will inform the other two sleeper agents to expect you. Tell no one on or off this base about Inuyasha's abilities, and whatever happens, do NOT get caught speaking with him."

"Yes, Sir."

Sesshomaru stood, prompting Trinity to do the same.

After both men saluted each other, Trinity took off to pack his things.

"Are you sure about this?" Inuyasha whispered, as he watched the agent leave.

"What other choice do I have?"

"You've gotten pretty soft, haven't you, Sesshomaru? To think that you'd care so much about human lives now. I never would have believed it."

"You fool. My children were half human. My grandchildren were fully gifted humans. My blood… _our_ blood… now lives within the human race."

"Yep. You've gone soft. Dad would be so proud."

"Get out." Sesshomaru rumbled, becoming fully annoyed.

Inuyasha made his way over to the door before Sesshomaru called out to him once again. As he turned back to look at him, Sesshomaru hissed his next words in warning.

"Do not fail, Inuyasha. The deaths that result from your inability to take this seriously will be on your head. Not mine."

"Keh. I never fail." He spat. "And… I _am_ taking this seriously."

* * *

 _Here we are._ Frisk advised the group through Mystic's psychic connection, as his black Range Rover pulled into the town of Odda.

 _It looks so quaint and peaceful here._ Kagome whispered, as her identical car pulled up behind his.

The six member team and Koga's four wolves were split up between the two vehicles as they made their way from the drop off site to the farming village that suffered the most devastation the night before.

 _Let's hide the cars over there._ Frisk advised, as he pulled off to a hidden area off the dirt road and within the surrounding woods. _Follow me._

Kagome quickly took off after him and did the same.

 _The moment we exit the vehicles, we must stick to the shadows._ Kagome commanded.

 _The Norwegian government is still investigating here. So be mindful not to disturb any of the crime scenes that we come upon._ Frisk added, as the team hurriedly exited the cars.

 _Understood._ The team sounded off in silence.

As Koga got out of the car and walked around to gather his wolves, he immediately stilled and tested the air in confusion.

 _Trace. I want you scanning around. Alert us to any people._ Kagome requested, as she and her team stealthily walked into the sealed off town.

 _Rodger._

 _Fang, the next part is all you. Once we get inside of the first farmhouse, I want you to scout around and tell me what scents you and the wolves are able to pick up on._ Kagome ordered.

 _Yes ma'am._ Koga whispered shakily, into her consciousness as the team approached the first farmhouse on their route.

 _There's no one inside and there is no one around._ Trace said quickly, as he snuck over to the door.

Kagome nodded and delicately pushed her way inside with the rest of her team following right behind her.

They all immediately turned on their flashlights.

The moment the crime scene came into view, Koga immediately blanched and his wolves stiffened at his sides.

 _You okay?_ Kagome asked, as she tried to study his face from the faint light of her group's flashlights.

 _Since when does a little blood bother you?_ Frisk teased _. Granted the whole room is practically covered in it._ He grumbled, as he swayed his flashlight against the walls. _What a freaking mess!_

Koga didn't answer, nor did he move.

 _Fang?_ Kagome whispered, softly. _Are you picking up on anything?_

Koga looked over at her in worry.

 _What is it?_ Kagome pushed.

All of Alpha Team's eyes fell upon him.

 _This can't be possible._ He mentally grumbled, as he squeezed his eyes shut.

The group patiently waited for him to elaborate.

 _Wolf demons._ Koga spat, slowly becoming horrified. _A hell of a lot of them. I thought I picked up on their scents outside, but this confirms it. Their scents are all over this room, along with the scents of so many wolves._

 _You're kidding._ Terrain whispered.

 _Don't you want to check some of the other rooms in here just to be sure?_ Kagome said worriedly, trying to make sense of their current situation.

 _I don't need to. This room reeks of their scents. It is unmistakable, Wraith._

 _That explains the victim's wounds and why forensics wasn't able to match them back to any known animal. I doubt they have wolf demons on file as a real species for comparison._ Frisk noted, as he sighed. _Should we bother checking out the other farmhouses, Rai?_

 _Yes._ Kagome said, quickly. _Let's check out a few more before we attempt to follow the scents. I'm going to update Sesshomaru and Inspect on what Fang has identified in the meantime._ She said, as she pulled out her phone and began to write off a message.

 _Follow the scents?! Are you crazy?! In this room alone I am picking up on several wolf demons and their wolves. We're outnumbered!_ Koga spat, viciously. _If we go after them, we could end up being attacked._

 _That's why we have you. You could talk to them, can't you?_ Frisk said, smoothly. _Work something out._

Koga shook his head.

 _It's not like you to be nervous._ Mystic whispered, sympathetically.

 _I'm not nervous! I'm just trying to be careful._ Koga replied, as he looked around the bloodied room.

The team spent a few minutes taking pictures of the residence before setting off to enter another one. In the second house, they found more of the same visually. However, Koga picked up on several new wolf demon scents. The same was true of the next five houses that they entered.

 _There are so many of them!_ Koga whispered, in disbelief. _They separated into small groups so that they could take out all of the farmers at the same time. This is a very large pack._

 _Now that you have the scents, can you follow them and see where they lead?_ Kagome asked, seriously.

When Koga hesitated, Frisk took it upon himself to address the wolves, commanding that they set forth and follow the scents that they encountered while the team followed.

Koga scowled at him.

 _We shouldn't do this. In the very least, we should wait until morning._

 _Dawn will be upon us in an hour._ Terrain advised, as she checked her watch.

 _Are you instincts warning you right now?_ Kagome asked, as she and her team exited the house.

 _Yes! Something doesn't feel right._ Koga admitted. _These are wolf demons that we're after!_

 _Yea, we know. You keep telling us that. Are you worried that we may harm some of your people, Fang?_ Frisk asked, seriously. _If you have some personal hang ups, you need to tell us now._

 _That's not the problem!_ Koga retorted, angrily.

 _Our objective is to find out where they are hiding without being found out. This is an information gathering mission not a combat mission._ She reminded everyone. _However, if Fang is having doubts about our safety, we'll wait until daybreak before we set forth._ Kagome said seriously, as she reached out and reassuringly squeezed Koga's arm.

Koga nodded and rattled off the new instructions to his wolves in hushed barks and grumbles.

 _The scents go off in that direction._ Koga advised, as he pointed to what looked to be a dirt trail that went off in the direction of the mountains.

 _Let's follow the trail for a few minutes until we're out of sight. I don't want any government officials showing up and catching us here while we wait for the sun to come up._ Kagome whispered.

The team immediately set forth, covering ten minutes worth of ground before they stopped and huddled together.

 _This place is giving me the creeps. It's overly quiet here._ Trace mumbled, as he cuddled into his heavy military coat.

 _I feel like we're being watched._ Mystic admitted, as she looked around in the dark.

Kagome immediately looked at Trace who closed his eyes and placed his fingers against his temples.

 _I'm not picking up on anything in the immediate area except for wildlife._ He whispered.

 _Keep scanning around._ Kagome advised him, as she closed her own eyes and tried to perceive any possible threats in their area.

 _What about you, Fang? Are you picking up on anything?_ Frisk asked.

 _I'm still picking up on those scents, but they could be remnants from last night's attack._ Koga said, quickly.

 _Fang, what are some common wolf demon weaknesses?_ Kagome asked, once she finished scanning around. _In the event that we encounter a hostile one._

 _We don't have any weaknesses._ Koga replied, a little too quickly.

 _This isn't the time to be arrogant!_ Terrain chided. _If you have some tips, you need to share them with us!_

 _We're here to track them. But, we need to make sure we're prepared for a worst case scenario should we encounter one._ Kagome said, smoothly.

Koga struggled to think.

 _We are sensitive to strong scents._

 _Well that's helpful._ Frisk grumbled, sarcastically. _I must have left my usual supply of stink bombs in my other jacket._ He muttered, angrily.

 _Can you think of anything else?_ Kagome asked, as she threw Frisk a dirty look.

 _Purification._ He spat. _Along with all forms of ammo and long range attacks._ Koga continued, as he watched the sky on the horizon begin to brighten.

Kagome nodded as she also took note of the dawn. _It's time to head out._ She said simply, as the sun began to rise. _Give the word._ She said, softly.

Koga sucked his teeth and called out to the wolves. The animals nodded and slowly took off down the trail and Alpha team followed closely behind them.

Twenty minutes into what turned out to be a hike, the team approached a sign signaling that the trail ahead was closed for the winter. It apparently lead to the Trolltunga Mountains which was a famous site in Norway for hikers.

 _That's as far as we can go._ Kagome whispered into the group's collective consciousness. _We're not hiking around on Norwegian cliffs during the winter. It's too dangerous. Let's get back to the cars and try to drive over to the next town that was attacked and see what we can find there. Let's make the most of our time here before we have to return home._

 _What are we going to do about this town?_ Terrain whispered.

 _I'm going to give Sesshomaru and Inspect the head's up. Maybe they'll be able to send a helicopter out to the mountains to scan around. There's nothing more we can do from the ground._ Kagome replied.

Koga's instincts began to growl lowly in warning and he stopped to test the air.

 _What's wrong?_ Kagome immediately asked him.

 _I keep feeling like we're being followed. It's the same scents from before, only they haven't become any closer or any more distant as we've walked along this trail._ Koga realized. _They stay the same distance from us at all times._

As Koga spoke these words, Trance immediately dropped to his knees and began to count.

 _We've got incoming._ Trace advised, shakily. _Twenty bodies just slowly came within my range. They're all slowly encircling us from every direction._

 _We're being hunted._ Koga spat, as he lowly growled and called his wolves back over to him.

 _Fuck._ Frisk hissed.

 _Do not react! They don't know we're on to them yet. Try to inconspicuously ready your weapons and act calm._ Kagome ordered, as she tried to innocently scan around.

All she could see was mountains and trees.

She slowly grabbed her bow and readied an arrow.

 _Why haven't they attacked us yet?_ Frisk spat, as he readied his Glocks within the confines of his heavy coat. _They've had plenty of chances to rush us since we've started down this trail._

 _They may have been leading us towards reinforcements._ Mystic answered.

 _Or…_ Kagome whispered. _… they've been trying to figure out what the situation is with Fang._ She said, knowingly. _He picked up on their scents right away. I'm sure they've picked up on his, just as quickly._

 _Thank God for our psychic link. Since none of us have spoken a word out loud, they haven't been able hear any of our interactions with each other. As far as they know, Fang could be our hostage._ Frisk muttered.

 _What should we do, Fang? Should we call out to them? What would you suggest?_ Kagome asked, as she threw her shield up over her team and their wolves. _Based on the savagery of their attacks on the farmers back there, this group is very obviously not fond of humans._

 _Let's turn around and head back to the cars._ Koga grumbled, as he once again tested the air. _If they haven't attacked us yet, then there's a chance they won't attack us at all. It makes sense to try to retreat._

 _What if that doesn't work?_ Kagome pushed. _We need a plan B._

 _If they attack us, I'll try to talk to them. If that doesn't work, do the priestess thing. I'll try to give you the distance you need so that you can let loose while I try to call in for help._ Koga grumbled.

Kagome nodded and took off in the opposite direction, heading back towards the town, prompting her team to follow her.

 _Stay close to me._ She whispered as she strengthened her shield, trying to ignore the hidden eyes that she imagined watching her from every direction.

Five minutes passed before the loud howling of wolves began to echo across the heavily wooded landscape.

 _They're passing word along._ Koga whispered, as he hurried to translate the numerous echos that began to vibrate through the moutainscape.

 _"A traitor is leading the humans to us."_ Koga mentally repeated, as he quickly froze.

 _So much for the hostage scenario. That's not going to work now._ Trace grumbled. _They know he's with us._

 _Time to run._ Kagome ordered, as she took off. _Stay close and watch each other's backs!_

 _Understood!_ The team said in unison, as they withdrew their weapons and made a break for it.

They didn't get very far at all.

A blur of twelve hulking figures wearing heavy leathers and numerous pelts of fur instantly surrounded them, pointing their swords at them and rising their shields. They were all flanked by snarling gray and white wolves.

 _"We're not here to fight you!"_ Frisk roared in the wolf language, as he removed his Glocks from his coat. _"But, we will protect ourselves if we have to!"_

The growled words spoken with a sense of fluid fluency by a human seemed to stupefy the warriors and they all exchanged curious glances with each other.

 _"How do you know the ancient language?!"_ A fierce female voice growled out to them, from her hidden place high up in the trees. _"You are human!"_ She growled out, with disgust.

 _Can someone please translate what the fuck is going on?!_ Trace roared, into the group's consciousness.

 _Hang tight, Trace._ Kagome whispered.

 _"Show yourself!"_ Koga demanded in a low snarl, as he allowed his fangs to extend down his chin and his eyes to bleed red.

 _"What pack are you from?!"_ The woman growled back, ignoring his demands.

 _"I am the last ruling alpha of the United Tribe from the country of Japan! Now show yourself!"_ Koga roared.

The warriors around the group frowned in confusion, several looked up towards the trees as if waiting for orders on how to proceed in handling the current situation.

 _What is going on?_ Trace begged.

 _Fang's trying to throw some alpha weight around._ Frisk said, quickly.

In another moment, a tall and muscled woman with long blonde hair that was wrapped up against her head in many numerous and twisting braids, jumped down from her hidden place from within the trees and stood before them. She had a large battle sword in her hand and a wooden and steel shield affixed to her back. She was wearing numerous furs and her dark blue eyes were smudged with what looked to be coal. She also had black tattoos on one side of her face, extending down from a shaved area above her right ear and down her neck.

Kagome instantly recognized the tattoo.

"Lucian." She whispered, before she could help herself.

The woman's head swung savagely in her direction and her blue eyes lightly glowed as she snarled at her.

 _She doesn't seem to be a big fan of the Aethelwulf series, Rai._ Frisk cautioned.

"Your markings." Kagome whispered. "They are the same as Lucian's." She said in a low and hushed voice, as she held the female's eyes.

The woman's brows furrowed, obviously not understanding the language.

 _"Your markings are the same as Lucian's."_ Frisk translated, in wolf.

This got the woman's full attention and she raised from a hovered attack position to her full height.

 _"All first generation descendants carry the tattoo."_ The woman growled and barked out, as Frisk quickly translated. _"How would you know of it?"_

 _She's Lucian's daughter!_ Kagome realized.

 _Whose daughter? Can you speak in a way that makes sense?!_ Mystic roared. _We're missing huge chunks of the conversation here!_

 _From the books?_ Koga whispered. _That shit is real?_

 _What tattoo?_ Frisk grumbled. _There's no mention of tattoos anywhere in the series. I've read every one of those books hundreds of times over, Rai. What are you talking about?_

 _Tell her that I am a friend of her mother._ Kagome urgently whispered. _Tell her I have no wish to harm her or her people. We just want to leave._

Frisk and Koga exchanged confused glances.

 _Do it!_ Kagome roared, as the female wolf demon leader began to angrily storm in her direction while tightening her grip on her sword.

 _"That woman is a friend of your mother."_ Koga growled. _"We do not wish to fight. We only wish to leave."_

This stopped the female dead in her tracks and her eyes hurriedly searched Kagome's face.

 _"How?"_ She rumbled.

Kagome was able to translate this simple word on her own.

 _Please forgive me, Annika. I may have to break my promise to you._ Kagome thought privately to herself. _But, I cannot allow preventable harm to come to my team. It is my responsibility to protect them._

"Please tell her that her mother once welcomed me into her home and spoke to me of her family. She also showed me her eldest son's sketch of Lucian, that is why I know about the tattoo. I can easily prove all of this to her." Kagome said out loud in a low and gentle voice, while holding the female's eyes with her own.

Koga's features twisted in confusion while he growled out the translation of Kagome's words.

The female wolf demon lowered her sword and growled.

 _You definitely have her attention, but she doesn't trust you._ Koga whispered.

Kagome sighed.

"I don't blame you. I wouldn't trust me either. I am a stranger and I am human." Kagome said. "However, if you come with me, I can prove what I say is true. But, you _must_ come alone." Kagome said quickly, as she pointed to an area off in the distance.

Frisk jumped in and translated.

The female wolf demon sized her up and hesitated.

"You needn't worry. You could easily kill me. I am not a threat." Kagome pushed.

 _Wraith, have you lost your fucking mind?_ Koga spat, while Frisk translated her words.

The wolf demon leader nodded and walked off to the area Kagome pointed to. She turned around, threateningly smirking at her as she waited for her to join her.

Kagome pulled out her phone and pushed her way passed the wolf demon warriors and wolves that were encircling her team.

 _You better know what you are doing!_ Koga roared. _My instincts are flipping the fuck out right now!_

 _Worst case, we go to plan B._ Kagome instructed the team, reminding them of what they discussed earlier. _Mystic, I need you to bump me out of the shared connection until I give you a signal to pull me back in._

 _I hope you truly DO know what you are doing, Wraith._ Mystic whispered, as she quickly cut Kagome off from the shared mental link.

As Kagome approached the wolf demon female, she looked down at her phone and thanked a higher power that she had a signal. She quickly sent a request for video chat to Annika's number.

The woman picked up on the third ring.


	26. Chapter 26

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 26

"Hi Kagome!" Annika happily hummed out, as she accepted the video chat request.

Kagome could see that Axl was currently in the woman's arms and the baby was cooing as she spoke. Before she attempted to somehow explain her current situation to her friend, she took a deep breath in an effort to steady herself.

"Annika, I am _so_ sorry, but I need the mother of all favors right now!" Kagome blurted out, as she studied her friend's cheerful face. "I'm in Norway and a pack of wolf demons is threatening to take out my team." She rambled, as her eyes pleaded with Annika's.

Annika's brows furrowed in confusion as Kagome frantically spoke.

"I believe their leader is one of your children." She whispered, praying that Ginta wasn't nearby. "I need your help. I swear I never would have involved you if it weren't a last resort…"

Before Kagome could finish her sentence, the phone was roughly snatched out of her hands.

The female wolf demon, who was obviously using a cell phone for the first time, stared at her mother's image with wide and shocked eyes.

"Aslaug!" Annika's voice cried out, before she began to frantically growl and bark.

The female warrior blinked a few times before she began to hurriedly respond to her mother.

After a few minutes, Kagome stole a glance back at her group. All were staring at her except for one member.

Koga had his eyes closed and his head bowed. His ear was tilted up in her direction. He was obviously straining to eavesdrop.

 _Thank God I chose a spot very far away._ Kagome thought to herself. _This was the only way around breaking my promise to Annika. However, I'm sure Koga's going to have a lot of questions. He's not going to let this go._ She thought, sadly.

Kagome watched on as the alpha female's conversation slowly changed from one spoken in a happy and nostalgic tone, to one of hushed whispers and worried growls. When Annika's conversation with her daughter stretched out for twenty minutes, Kagome began to lose patience.

"I don't know what you're saying, but can you help us?" Kagome called out to Annika, from the background.

The lead wolf demon, who was apparently named Aslaug, angrily scowled at her for interrupting...

And she was _immediately_ reprimanded by her mother with one harsh bark.

"Kagome, you should be alright. Aslaug promised not to harm you." Annika called out, before growling and yipping, prompting her daughter to pass over the phone.

The moment the phone was back in Kagome's hands, she noticed the grave look that now adorned her friend's face.

"Kagome, you _must_ listen to me." Annika whispered, as she conspiratorially glanced over her shoulder to ensure that no one else was in the room. "I find myself in desperate need of your help." She begged.

Kagome frowned, waiting for the woman to continue.

"Apparently, my people are responsible for the recent attacks on the human hunters over there." Annika said, sadly. "What will now happen to them? Is your organization going to retaliate against them in some way?" She whispered as her eyes began to slowly fill with tears.

"I'm not sure, Annika. I was only sent here to gather information. If the wolf demons are open to talks, I'm sure my organization would prefer it over a senseless and bloody battle."

Annika shook her head in grief. "Negotiations are not something the Norwegian packs historically excel at. We are bred for war, Kagome. Apparently, the patience of the many packs has worn thin over the centuries. Unless the wolves can be offered protection by the humans, Lucian will continue to slaughter them in retribution."

Kagome studied her friend's sad and pleading eyes.

"If the humans retaliate, if _your_ organization retaliates, my people, my children, my family… could die." She whispered, as the tears that she had been struggling to hold back now fell from her eyes. "You _have_ to help us." Annika begged.

"How?" Kagome whispered, her heart utterly breaking for her friend.

"You _must_ talk to Lucian. Aslaug can bring you to him and vouch for you on her honor. Her word will grant you an audience with him and offer you her pack's protection. But, you must find a way to make him listen to you. You must somehow convince him, Kagome. Find a way to get him to negotiate with the humans." She pleaded. "If he does not, so many on both sides will die!"

"Annika, I'm not sure…"

"Please! You _must_ try, Kagome! Find a way!"

"Can't _you_ do this? He was _your_ former mate for Christ's sakes. He'll listen to you. I'm sure of it!"

"My daughter tells me that there are plans for another attack tonight, Kagome. Right now, y _ou_ are there and I am not." Annika whispered. "If you aren't able to make any headway, I swear I will find a way to get there myself!"

"I will try my best. But, I can't promise you anything." Kagome said, sadly.

"That is all I can ask for. Thank you." Annika whispered.

Kagome nodded and held her eyes as she disconnected the call. As the screen went black, Aslaug turned to her and grabbed her arm at the elbow. When Kagome jerked, the woman held her eyes and nodded, apparently offering her a silent form of genuine gratitude.

Kagome watched on as the alpha female then stormed off towards her group of warriors and barked out orders. Aslaug's subjects immediately dropped their swords and the wolves that flanked them also backed off in response.

"Good job, Wraith!" Terrain said, as Kagome approached.

"We are probably going to try to attempt to talk to their main leader." Kagome said, authoritatively to her group.

Her announcement garnered a flurry of frowns from her team.

"There is going to be another attack on the humans tonight unless we are somehow able to convince Lucian to enter into talks with the humans." Kagome elaborated, as she began to write out an urgent message to Sesshomaru and Inspect, advising them of the situation. "The alpha female of this pack is named Aslaug, she will be vouching for us. We will be under her pack's protection."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Koga roared as he stomped over to her and grabbed her arm, interrupting the frantic swaying of her thumbs over her cell phone's keypad as she typed.

"Calm down."

"I will _not_ calm down! We need to report this and leave. Our mission is done here!" He growled.

"And then what? We sit by while countless other humans are slaughtered knowing that we could have at least _tried_ to save them, but didn't?"

"It's not _your_ call, Wraith!"

"You're right. It isn't. That's why I'm requesting permission from my superiors, _Fang_! Now unhand me and back the hell off!" She spat.

Koga scowled at her, holding her angry eyes with his for several moments before releasing his grip on her arm and bitterly marching off.

As he walked away, he could hear Kagome's phone ringing in the background.

He knew who the caller was before she answered.

 _Of all the insane things to do!_ His mind howled, as he prayed to a higher power that Sesshomaru would make quick work of setting his mate's priorities straight.

He was absolutely furious with her.

If the sheer amount of scents that he picked up on in the town was any indication of the amount of wolf demons that comprised the particular pack that they were currently with, there were most likely several dozens of wolf demons surrounding them that were out of his scent range. To knowingly choose to approach the leader of yet another pack, they would be willingly putting themselves into a situation where they could not win should a battle erupt. As far as Koga was concerned, even if it was to attempt to save innocent lives, nothing in this world outweighed his mate's safety. Period. He didn't trust this pack and he had no reason to trust any of the other packs that made up this mountain area.

As he thought on this, he caught his mate's alluring scent slowly making its way over to him.

"We have clearance." Kagome grumbled, as she approached him. "R.O.O.T is putting a fleet of air reinforcements on standby for back up, just in case we need them. But, since we are here and we have an escort, along with the promise of an opportunity to speak with Lucian, the General would like us to attempt to actually do so."

"Sesshomaru is fine with all this?!" Koga shouted incredulously, as he crossed his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes.

"No, he's not. He thinks this is overly dangerous, but he seems somewhat assured by the prospect of an audience with Lucian." Kagome retorted. "He knows of him." She added, as she studied Koga for a reaction.

"How the fuck is that even possible? According to Trinity, Lucian ran for the hills after his defeat at the hands of the Balkan holy users centuries ago. He just lives on in stories. There has been no evidence to prove that he really does, in fact, still exist."

"I don't know how he's heard of him. But, he said he knows who he is. He seemed to be under the impression that any type of negotiation with the man was utterly impossible. That's why, if we have a chance to actually do so, based upon his daughter's intervention in the matter and her promise of protection, we _must_ take it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually reason with him in some way." Kagome advised.

"Sesshomaru blindly trusts the word of Lucian's daughter? She is an enemy! An enemy that is responsible for the slaughters of many humans while they innocently slept in their beds at night!" Koga hissed. "Sesshomaru has either lost his mind, or you're lying, Kagome. He would never choose to do something so incredibly stupid!"

" _I_ vouched for her." Kagome admitted, in a simple whisper. "That's the only real reason why he is letting us do this."

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Koga roared, as he rushed over to her and firmly grabbed her arms with his clawed hands.

"I vouched for her." Kagome repeated, as her eyes narrowed and met his in sheer defiance.

"You _don't_ even know her!"

"She is Annika's daughter, Koga." Kagome whispered, as her eyes studied his. "You must promise me that you will take that secret to the grave."

"Her…. Her what?" Koga growled, releasing his hold on her while stumbling backwards as he tried to make sense of the words.

"Her daughter… with Lucian. Lucian was Annika's first mate, Koga." Kagome said softly, as she now took his hands in hers and squeezed them.

Koga looked at her as if he had seen a ghost.

"Does…"

"No. Ginta has no idea and we must keep it that way. He and Annika had an arrangement to never speak to one another of their pasts. If he finds out, it needs to come from her. It's not our business to spread."

"How long?" Koga rumbled in disbelief, as he studied her. "How long have you known about this?"

"Not long at all. A few weeks, maybe? I swore that I would keep her secret and I intend to try to do so. But, I need you to trust in my decision making abilities on this mission, Koga. If that means telling you what's really at stake here, then you leave me with no other choice."

"I can't believe this…"

"Baby, focus on me for a second." Kagome said firmly, as she tightened her grip on his hands. "I need you to trust Aslaug and I need you to understand that if the Norwegian government or R.O.O.T retaliates, it could mean the slaughter of Annika's people." Kagome said, hurriedly. "These demons are her immediately family... which makes them, _our_ extended family." She clarified. "These people are directly related to her current children, and those children also share the blood of _your_ tribe via Ginta, Koga."

Koga's mouth gaped in shock and he looked at Kagome as if completely torn.

"That's who you called, wasn't it?" He whispered, as he looked sadly at his mate's beautiful face. "You called Annika, didn't you?"

"Yes, and she saved us. She also begged for my help. I said I would try, and by doing so, we might be able to save lives on both sides of this argument. I need you to back me on this, Koga. I _need_ you to trust me."

"You're always poking your nose where it doesn't belong. You won't be able to help others if you're dead, Kagome." He grumbled, as his brows furrowed.

"That's my life's purpose, Koga. To _try_ to help others." She admitted. "That was always my purpose in this world, over the centuries."

Koga shook his head, emotionally struggling with the type of blind faith that she was asking of him.

"The pack is a family." Kagome reminded him. " _You_ taught me that."

"But…"

" _And_ Alpha Team is a family. I would never allow any harm to come to anyone on this team." She pushed. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could somehow protect them."

" _How_? How in the hell would you protect Alpha Team from hundreds of wolf demons?"

"I can't explain how I know, but I just know. I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now. I've somehow expected this. It's like a dream." Kagome whispered. "I feel like this meeting has been in the making for a long time now." She continued, confused by her own words.

"You're not making any sense."

"I know I'm not. But check with your instincts, baby. What are they telling you right now?"

Koga squeezed his eyes shut in frustration and tried to listen to the beast within.

He heard nothing. Not even a rumble.

* * *

"If anyone asks, we are tourists. This is our first time in Germany and we are here to take in the famous architecture that makes up the New Synagogue of Mainz." Trinity whispered.

"That's great but there are two problems with that story." Inuyasha whispered back. "One, no one is going to ask me that, nor am I going to say that, since I am a dog. Two, you are supposed to be blind, so I'm not sure how you are going to take in the architecture, dummy."

"I'm here to physically experience it then!" Trinity corrected, as he straightened his sunglasses' fit on the bridge of his nose and tightened his hold on Inuyasha's harness.

Inuyasha sighed. "Do not fuck this up, Trinity. Don't drop out of character. If it helps to close your eyes behind those glasses, then do it. You appear way too confident while you walk."

Trinity immediately slowed his pace.

 _We're in trouble with this guy._ Inuyasha thought to himself.

"Remember. If you fuck this up, people _will_ die." Inuyasha whispered, as they approached the temple.

"Understood." Trinity whispered in return, as he allowed Inuyasha to pull him towards the door.

The duo jointly walked the floors of the synagogue. Inuyasha was busy trying to lead Trinity around the masses of parishioners and tourists who were in the structure. As they moved along, sticking to the walls, Trinity traced his fingers over the walls. From time to time, as the surface changed, he would stop and run his palms over the walls, as if to study them. People, for the most part, didn't pay him much mind.

After some time passed, they made their way up to the second level and were greeted by a white room with numerous windows.

In was in this section that a small child with light brown hair could be seen crying his eyes out in the far corner of the room. The little boy's beautiful hazel eyes were wide with fear and he was hysterical. It appeared as though he was searching for someone.

 _He's obviously lost._ Trinity thought to himself, as he pushed Inuyasha to take him over to him.

Inuyasha took him to the child and nudged him, signaling to any onlookers that he had completed his objective. At the contact, Trinity dropped down to his knee and trained his eyes at the floor, never once turning his head in the child's direction.

"Are you lost? Do you need help?" He asked, in what he hoped to be, a soothing voice.

He heard the child whimper.

"Do you like dogs?" Trinity asked, trying to change tactics to somehow relax the child.

"Uh huh." The little child heaved.

"This is my dog and he helps me find things. Maybe he can help us find your mother. Would that be okay?"

The child appeared to think upon this.

"You're a stranger." He whispered.

"That's right, I am. But, I am a good person. I promise."

"Mama says that bad people say things like that so that they can steal children." The child retorted, as he started to wail.

 _Christ._ Trinity mentally spat, as he outstretched the palm of his hand.

"Touch my hand. I promise I won't steal you. Touch my hand and you'll see that I'm not a bad person." He pleaded, as he began to channel his purification energy.

The little boy sniffled as he studied Trinity's glowing palm. After a few seconds, he poked at it quickly with his index finger. Seeing that the contact felt somewhat nice, he poked it again, holding his finger's contact with Trinity's skin for a much longer increment of time.

As he did so, the child closed his eyes and immediately relaxed into Trinity's soothing spiritual glow.

When Trinity sensed the child had finally calmed down, he spoke to him.

"Will you trust me to help you find your mama, now?" He asked.

The little boy smiled. "Uh huh."

"Can you hold onto my dog's harness while we walk?"

"Sure, mister. Can I pet him, too?" The child asked, joyfully.

"Of course you can."

"What's his name?"

"Fluffy."

Inuyasha scowled and angrily got to his feet, while the child began to lightly stroke his fur.

"Fluffy, can you find someone who works here?"

Inuyasha began to slowly walk off, leading Trinity and the small child along with him.

"What's your mama's name?" Trinity asked the child, while training his head downwards as he walked.

"Diana." The little boy responded after some obvious thought.

"Can you look around and tell me if you see her while we walk?"

"Yup." The child said, gleefully.

As the group made their way downstairs, Trinity saw a disheveled woman with light brown hair frantically speaking to a group of synagogue staff members. She was holding a disgruntled little girl, apparently a young toddler, in her arms and she was looking around worriedly as she spoke. She looked absolutely sick.

Trinity lightly pulled on Inuyasha's harness alerting him.

Inuyasha looked up and immediately caught a look at the woman. Upon making the connection as to who she probably was, he quickly changed his direction and began to slowly lead everyone over to her.

As they came into view, they caught Diana's eye and she ran as fast as she could to the side of the small child.

"Cristian!" She cried, as she wrapped her free arm roughly around the small boy and lifted him into a giant hug. "I was so worried! I told you not to wander off! Are you alright?" She rambled, as she put the child back down and inspected him for injuries.

"I'm sorry, mama. I got scared." He admitted, as his mother held his eyes. "This man and Fluffy helped me find you and baby Carmen." He said, as he began to pet Inuyasha once again.

As if for the first time, Diana noticed the blind man and the Seeing Eye dog that had brought her son to her.

"Oh my, I am so sorry! You must think I am so rude. Thank you so much for helping Cristian." She said, with genuine gratitude.

"Not rude at all." Trinity said softly, as he stared at the floor. "You need to make sure your boy is alright first. That's what mamas do." He said, as he chuckled.

Diana sighed.

"I take it you are tourists as well. I don't know too many people of the Jewish faith that name their sons 'Cristian'. Trinity said, on a chuckle.

Diana immediately laughed.

"I guess it is obvious then. This is our first time to Germany and we were told me must visit the synagogue on a tour."

"It's hard to manage two kids all by yourself." Trinity said, sympathetically.

"It definitely is. You must be a parent. You get it."

"Well, not yet. But I do have plenty of nieces and nephews. I might not totally get it, but I do understand some of it." He laughed.

As he spoke, a woman who had been clinging to the background on the second level slowly approached them. She hung back as they spoke as if waiting her turn to approach.

When Diana finally bid Trinity and Inuyasha farewell, the woman called out to him.

"That was a wonderful thing that you did." She said, as she slowly approached. She seemed unsure of how to get Trinity's attention.

Trinity tilted his ear in her direction.

"Are you speaking to me?" He whispered, as if uncertain.

The woman cleared her throat and held out her hand.

When Trinity didn't take it, her eyes widened and she quickly withdrew it, flushing from embarrassment.

"Yes. I am speaking with you, Sir. I saw what you did for that child. That was very heartwarming. Good people are very hard to find these days."

"Thank you. I just did what came naturally though." He admitted, as he allowed himself to smile.

"Energy channeling comes naturally to you?" She whispered. "I saw what you did. You calmed that child right down and you did it using a spiritual method."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Trinity grumbled, as he frowned. "I just prayed for him. That's all." He said, as he gently shook Inuyasha's harness, prompting him to take off.

"Wait! I didn't mean to offend. Would you be interested in speaking with me for a few moments?" She pleaded, as she fell in stride alongside him. "My name is Amber and I am in charge here. I have similar gifts as you do."

"Gifts?" Trinity mumbled, in a confused tone.

"Yes, for spiritual healing. Along the way, there must have been others that have told you that you glow while you 'pray'. What you did back there was use the divine power of light to help someone."

Trinity halted and Amber continued to speak.

"I am just asking for a few moments of your time with which to speak with you. Would that be alright…?" She said, pausing as she did not know Trinity's name.

"Richard. My name is, Richard." Trinity said, quickly. "And this is Fluffy." He said, as he gestured to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Would that be alright with you and Fluffy, Richard?" She said, sweetly. "Could you spare me a few minutes?"

* * *

"How long is this hike?" Frisk grumbled, from his piggy back position on the back of one of Aslaug's warriors. "This is degrading and super uncomfortable!"

As the hike from the town of Odda to Lucian's home of the Trolltunga Mountains would take a human ten hours to complete during the summer months, Aslaug's pack had decided that the fastest option of transport would be to carry the Alpha team, and Koga's four wolves, over the mountains and to their final destination.

"Just put up with it!" Mystic shouted, from her position on another warrior's back. "I am enjoying this. Being whisked away by a strong and beautiful man over the mountains is like a wonderful fantasy come true for me!"

"Me too." Terrain whispered, as she giggled.

"I have to agree with the females on this one." Trace admitted, as he laughed.

"May I remind you that you have a 'warrior' waiting for you at home, Mystic?" Frisk shouted. "I'm sure he'd sling you onto his back and climb whatever mountain you wanted him to. You're practically cheating on him right now!" Frisk antagonized. "And, Trace… I've always had my suspicions about you…."

Trace laughed but said nothing.

Koga growled in frustration as he listened to the silly banter of this team, while he worked to wipe the sweat from his brow. "We are on a mission!" He roared, as he shifted Kagome's weight on his own back. "Take in the severity of our current situation! This isn't fucking a carnival ride!"

"Maybe not for you, since you insisted that you'd be the only one allowed to carry Wraith." Frisk retorted. "You should have asked for a ride on one of the Norwegian warriors. They haven't even broken into a sweat and they've been at it for four hours."

Koga sucked his teeth as he jumped from cliff to cliff, scaling a portion of the mountain. As he did so, Aslaug suddenly flanked him, causing Koga to eye her suspiciously.

 _"Would you like me to take her?"_ She asked innocently in their shared language, as she pointed to Kagome.

Koga scowled at her.

 _"No. My mate stays with me."_ He replied, in a low warning growl.

 _"Your… mate?"_ Aslaug repeated, becoming completely confused as she sniffed the air, most likely to confirm Kagome's human status. When she seemed to do so, she furrowed her brows in question at Koga.

 _"Yes, she is human, and yes, she is my mate. I don't trust her care to anyone but myself."_

 _"Is she really a human?"_ Aslaug questioned, as she once again sniffed the air. _"Her scent is… different. It is… strong."_ She stated, as she struggled for a descriptive word. _"It is more like a…"_

 _"Bonding scent?" Koga supplied._

 _"Yes. However, it is a constant one. Her scent has not changed in message or in strength since we first encountered her many hours ago. How is that possible?"_

 _How to even explain this?_ Koga thought to himself.

 _"I assure you, she is human. However, we were able to find a way with which to provide her with a bonding scent for her pairing with me."_

 _"It is an unnatural scent then?"_

 _"Yes and no. The scent is truly hers, however, the amplification of it has been enhanced by the intervention of… special healers."_ Koga said, as he attempted to somehow explain things in a simple way.

Aslaug seemed to think upon this before she nodded her head, most likely in acceptance of Koga's explanation.

 _"Are you certain that you would not like me to carry her? I will protect her with my life, I swear it. It also seems as though you would physically welcome the break."_ Aslaug said, knowingly.

Koga could hear Frisk snicker behind him as he obviously privately translated their conversation in his head.

"Gotta lay off all those dumplings, Rai! You're killing Fang's back along with his pride right now!" Frisk snickered. "He won't pass your heavy ass over."

Kagome sighed.

"Fang? Why don't you take a break, baby?" Kagome said, gently. "The Norwegian wolf demons are suited to this kind of thing. They've evolved to fit into this environment. They're technically better built for it."

"I am _fine_!" Koga snapped.

 _"How long?"_ Kagome roughly growled over to Aslaug, making her best attempt to speak to the woman in her own language.

The woman's eyes widened for a moment and after a few seconds she smiled at her.

 _"One more hour."_ She rumbled.

"All I understood out of that was the word 'one'." Kagome declared, prompting Koga to fill in the blanks for her.

 _"You are teaching her the language."_ Aslaug realized, as her tone took on a sense of wonder.

 _"She wanted to learn."_ Koga said, proudly.

 _"Did you also teach him?"_ Aslaug questioned, as she pointed to Frisk.

 _"In a way."_ Koga rumbled. _"Not by choice though. It's a long story. Don't ask."_

Aslaug studied him for a moment before she acrobatically jumped to a cliff ledge.

 _"You are quite the interesting group."_

 _"That's an understatement."_ Koga replied, as he made his way to the same cliff ledge and bounced his way up the mountain.

 _"How did you come to be a part of this strange human pack, 'last alpha of Japan's United Tribe'?"_

Koga chuckled at the woman's remembrance of his title.

 _"We work for an organization of gifted individuals; human and demon alike."_ Koga explained. _"Our goal is to assist in world peace."_

 _"Humans and demons working together?"_ Aslaug whispered, as she tried to envision such a thing.

 _"Yes. Many demons assimilated into human society ages ago. Working alongside them is something that is natural now. However, there are still some hostilities harbored by some demons of the world."_ Koga admitted, thinking upon how his own people had recently tried to wipe out the entire human race.

 _"Holy users as well."_ Frisk added. _"Don't forget about them. A lot of them still have a bone to pick with the demons of the world."_

"Frisk, damnit! I wouldn't bring that up right now!" Koga shouted over to him. "Demons hate humans, but they hate holy users more so than anyone else. They don't know what Wraith is." He spat, as he threw Frisk a dirty look from over his shoulder.

"Whoops! Sorry!" Frisk replied. "I'll change the subject then!"

"What's going on?" Kagome worriedly whispered into Koga's ear.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Koga said, softly.

 _"So, I've read a lot of stories about your dad, Aslaug. He seems to be one scary son of a bitch."_ Frisk rumbled. _"Is there anything that we should be careful of when we meet with him? You know, so he doesn't rip us into pieces and feast on our bones?"_

 _"Son of… a bitch…?"_ Aslaug repeated, thrown off by the term.

Koga sighed loudly.

"You really are unbelievable." He mumbled under his breath.

 _"Of course he is a son of a bitch. He was conceived by a heated female. Isn't that how all children are made?"_ Aslaug questioned, with a hint of hesitancy.

Koga just couldn't help it. He began to roar with laughter, the sound of which echoed across the mountains.

"Frisk, can you please drop the current day euphemisms from your use of the wolf language?" Koga choked out, in between his heavy laughter. "They don't translate. Stop throwing words together!"

"What am I missing?" Kagome whispered, desperately wanting to know what was so funny.

"Aslaug just told us that her father is a true son of a bitch." Frisk answered, as he smirked. "Can you believe that?"

"I guess they don't really get along then." Kagome whispered, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

This caused Koga to laugh even harder.

"Fang, that's not funny!" Kagome chided. "You shouldn't laugh at that."

"Wraith…" Koga heaved. "You're making it worse…" He said, as he laughed even harder. "Don't listen to Frisk. He's fucking with you."

"I am not. That's exactly what she just said." Frisk said, innocently.

"Yes, but… you know that's not what she meant!" Koga continued, through a wide smile.

 _"What is so funny?"_ Aslaug asked, angrily.

"See, you pissed her off!" Koga spat.

 _"Son of a bitch is a term that is used to express contempt."_ Frisk clarified. _"Fang was laughing because you didn't know that."_ He elaborated. _"He's not a very nice guy sometimes."_

Aslaug threw Koga a nasty look before she took off higher up on the cliff side.

"Why the hell did you say that?" Koga roared.

"It was true."

"That's not why I was laughing! I was laughing at you, and you know it!" Koga said angrily, as he took off after her.

"What the hell is going on?" Kagome shouted, as she clung to Koga's shoulder while he took off at great speed up the side of the mountain.

Koga didn't answer, instead, he profusely apologized to Aslaug the moment he caught up to her and explained what was really going on. The explanation seemed to calm her, which was something that Koga was thankful for.

 _"What should we know about your father?"_ Koga asked, attempting to get back into the woman's good graces once again.

 _"He used to live only to destroy. However, he has calmed over the years."_ Aslaug said, on a whisper.

 _"What changed him?"_

 _"My mother 'tamed' him, saving many lives in the process."_ She answered, instantly. _"However, as you know, she is no longer here and it seems that the beast slowly hungers for blood once again."_

 _"Your mother is a good woman."_ Koga rumbled. _"She is currently mated to my former beta. He is a very honorable and loving father and a romantic and sensitive husband. She is very happy with him."_

Aslaug seemed to picture this.

 _"Romantic?"_ She said, snorting _. "Good for her. It's about time she had a little sensitivity in her life. My father was the furthest thing from it. My eldest brother once picked my mother flowers and gifted them to my mother, saying they were from my father. I remember how her face lit up in that moment as if she was given the world in the simple form of dandelions."_ She admitted. _"I also remember how hurt she became when she figured out that her son had lied to her in an effort to give her that happiness."_

 _"That's very sad."_ Koga said, on a sigh.

 _"My mother was taken into my father's pack after he had killed her own pack's alpha. He immediately fell in love with her, but she hated him and refused to so much as look upon his face. He used to gift her with the heads of slain alphas to attempt to prove his worth as an acceptable mate and try to woo her."_ Aslaug informed him. _"My mother was the only woman that Lucian had ever encountered that would not allow him into her bed, nor would she succumb to any of his advances. My mother once told us that she spent many nights over the centuries hoping that he would die in battle, so that she, and all others on this earth, could finally be rid of him."_

 _"Christ. That's terrible! Then how the hell did they become a mated pair?!"_ Koga spat, becoming horrified.

Aslaug laughed. _"My father was gravely injured in the Balkan wars. It was truly believed that he would not survive the night, and his body was placed within a makeshift hut while the pack entered into discussions about which werewolves would compete to replace him. All impatiently waited for his certain demise."_ She whispered, sadly. _"My mother was the only werewolf that entered the hut. She said that she wanted to witness his death first hand. As she came upon his vulnerable form and took her place at his side, she witnessed the ferocious and unstoppable warrior that had once decimated countries and entire civilizations, was now too weak to even lift his hand or fully open his eyes. He was completely vulnerable and completely at the mercy of anyone brave enough to enter the hut and slit his throat."_ Aslaug boomed. _"As he sensed my mother's presence, my father then did something completely out of character."_ Aslaug said, simply. _"He apologized to her."_

 _"For being such a brute?"_ Koga asked.

 _"No. He apologized that he had failed in his conquests and that he was not able to provide her with a kingdom large enough and worthy enough of her rule. He apologized that he had not died in the battlefield as he should have, and that, as a result, he would not gain entry into Valhalla, and therefore he would never see her in the afterlife."_ Aslaug said, softly _. "For some reason, the realization of the true purpose behind my father's conquests, along with the realization that she would soon get her wish for his death, filled my mother's heart with guilt. She sat at his side and fiercely protected him while tenderly nursing him back to health. She said that she found herself whispering to him as he fell in and out of consciousness, telling him her made up tales of incredible werewolf romance and devout knights, managing to ease his mind while lending him the comfort of her voice."_ She said, as she now smiled. _"Nature took over soon after that."_

 _"So afterwards, your father recovered and took Annika as his mate?"_ Koga asked.

 _"Yes, but there was one condition."_ Aslaug whispered, as she smirked. _"In exchange for her devotion, he had to promise her that he would fall back to the mother territories and withdraw from civilization. This was the only thing that my mother truly wanted."_

 _"Peace."_ Koga whispered. _"A precious and priceless gift of peace."_

Aslaug nodded. _"Indeed."_

 _"My father literarily wanted to give her the world. But the only world she wanted was a private one with him and her family."_

 _"And her stories."_ Kagome chimed in roughly, in wolf.

Koga and Aslaug immediately startled.

"Did you understand all of that?" Koga asked, curiously.

"You bet your ass I did." Kagome said, angrily. "No thanks to you, jerk!"

 _Thank you for translating, Frisk._ She said into her, Frisk's and Mystic's small mental connection.

 _No worries, Rai. It's so rude that he's intentionally keeping you out of the conversation all of the time._ Frisk instigated.

 _That was such a beautiful story._ Mystic chimed in, sniffling.

As Koga looked over his shoulder, he noticed that Frisk was smirking and Mystic was subtly crying. He immediately made the connection on his mate's sudden fluency.

"Thank you for translating, Frisk." He grumbled, nonchalantly.

"No problem. Anything for my ex-girlfriend!" He called back, earning him an angry scowl in his direction.

* * *

Trinity looked over the small room that Amber had provided him with.

He had spent over three hours with the woman, listening to her recount the tale of the battle between darkness and light. He had put up somewhat of a fight, challenging her group's directive on numerous occasions. He had hoped that his hesitancy had come across as real. He wanted to leave the woman with the impression that he was unsure and needed true convincing in order to join them. He had hoped that this is what most new recruits would do in his position upon hearing about The Order's mission for the very first time.

Hell, this group was clearly talking about murder, and no one would so readily accept that, would they?

"What's next?" Inuyasha whispered from his place at Trinity's side.

"Now we get acclimated. Tonight during meal time, the goal is to become friendly with some of the other members here." Trinity advised. "However, nightfall will be when _you_ get to work."

Inuyasha nodded. "Ask a lot of questions about where things are around here. No one will suspect too much, since you need detailed explanations anyway." He whispered. "Try to point me in the direction of places that may be off limits. I'll start there."

"Understood." Trinity whispered, as he pulled out his phone and sent a quick message off to Sesshomaru, advising of his successful inclusion into the group.

* * *

The moment that Aslaug's group set down on a flat stretch of land, and the Trolltunga Mountains came into view, Kagome felt all the breath escape her lungs.

It was _beautiful_.

Upon the pack's arrival, Aslaug's group began to howl, signaling their arrival as they finally set the members of Alpha Team, and their wolves, down.

Numerous wolf demons popped out from the nooks and caverns of caves that spanned across the expanse of the mountain, peeking over at them.

In the span of five minutes, Kagome realized just how many wolf demons made up Lucian's pack.

There had to be _hundreds_ of them, and all seemed to be slowly making their way over to them, their head's tilted in silent wonder as they studied her and her team.

As the wolf demons slowly surrounded Aslaug's pack, they raised their noses in the air, testing the new human scents within while whispering to one another in their shared language.

Koga instinctually wrapped his arm tightly around Kagome, pulling her to his chest, as he scowled at them.

Kagome could feel his muscles tighten as his bonding scent exploded into the air. The scent caused most of the onlookers to take a step back.

It also caused Frisk to loudly gag behind them.

"Do you have to do that right now?" He grumbled, as he gasped for air.

Koga ignored him. Instead his eyes flew up to the side of the mountain, where a massive hulking figure, covered by shadow, with glowing teal eyes, appeared to be angrily studying them.

Koga immediately began to growl and he took a step forward, pushing Kagome roughly behind him, as he began to bare his teeth.

"Are you crazy?!" Mystic hissed. "Fang, calm down! Don't start these talks off with a display of aggression!"

"Don't tell me how to handle wolf demon affairs!" Koga roared.

The group then followed the direction of Koga's eyes and also noticed the figure up above.

"That guy is massive!" Terrain practically screamed.

Kagome scrambled to get around Koga to look, but he held her firmly in place behind him.

"Do NOT move." He growled, his eyes never once breaking their contact with the looming figure's from up above.

The visual standoff was somewhat interrupted by Aslaug howling loudly, her eyes fierce as her voice carried up over the mountain, apparently engaging the scary werewolf high within the mountain.

With a movement that was so fast, it could not be perceived by the naked eye, the giant werewolf sprung forth, jumping high in the air from his former place on the mountain's edge and landing in a crouched position right at Koga's feet.

The figured stayed crouched, his eyes lowered to the floor for several seconds, as if intentionally allowing Alpha Team's senses to catch up and truly perceive the speed of his movement, before he slowly rose to his full height and bowed his head into Koga's face, his body purposefully looming over him.

"Holy shit!" Trace roared, as he took several steps backwards.

The rest of Alpha Team followed suit, all frantically stumbling to get away from the beast that stood before them. The demon's suffocating aura soon began to roll over them in thick and angry waves, physically crushing them and forcing them down against the ground.

It was suffocating and… it was absolutely terrifying.

But this man's presence wasn't only affecting the small band of humans within the group.

Koga, along with the many other wolf demons that made up Lucian's and Aslaug's packs also gasped for air as they stumbled backwards as well.

Koga was pushing Kagome backwards along with him as he tried to somehow escape.

Never before had he felt such overwhelming fear. His mind was on overload and his inner beast was fully awake and ferociously roaring within his ears.

It was telling him to run.

 _If you do not run, we WILL die!_ Koga's mind screamed, as he studied the muscled warrior who was savagely smirking before him, making a great display of the razor sharp and thick tusks that he had for fangs.

However, all he could manage was a few painfully slow steps backwards. It was as though his muscles could not accurately respond, nor could he truly breathe.

He was vaguely aware that Kagome had easily escaped from his loosening hold on her and that his crazy mate had swiftly made her way alongside him. In one more swift movement, she expertly pushed him behind _her_.

Kagome calmly shielded Koga with her body as she raised her eyes to meet Lucian's glowing stare.

The man was not in bloodlust form by any stretch of the imagination. His natural form seemed to overwhelming enough… for most.

However, this was not the case for Kagome. His demonic aura tingled at her skin and drove a bolt of electricity up her spine in warning, however, she found she could still easily breathe and move, which was something that she was grateful for.

"We didn't come here to fight." Kagome said calmly, as she held the demon's gaze.

The demon studied her face and she noted that his expression seemed to change as he looked upon her.

It was as if he somehow recognized her.

Lucian openly scanned the features of her face as if committing them to memory, before boldly dropping his gaze to sweep over her body.

"Can someone please translate for me?!" Kagome shouted, over her shoulder.

She tried to ignore the fact that her entire human team was pinned down against the ground and gasping for air. Koga, luckily, was still upright, but he seemed to be struggling in his own special way.

 _Damn it! This couldn't have happened at a more inopportune time!_ Her mind screamed.

"No fighting." She growled out in wolf, wishing she was better adept at the language.

Lucian's head snapped back up from its study of her body and he tilted his head as if deep in thought upon her words.

Kagome consciously tried to stop herself from ogling the man as she watched him. However, she knew, from her time spent with Koga, that she should in no way drop her eyes away from him as such an act could be considered a form of submission.

Lucian in the flesh, to her, was just as beautiful as he was terrifying. Annika's son's sketch had done the man no real justice. He had to be over 6"4 easily. He was heavy with corded muscle that visibly moved under the tight leathers that were affixed to his skin. He was draped in animal pelts, one of which seemed to be that of an adult brown bear, which did not so much as manage to cover his entire body. His razor sharp canine teeth were wide and naturally extended down to his chin. His thick silver hair was braided into many bulging chains and were tied off into a high pony tail atop his head; the length of it reaching down to the backs of his knees. His claws were thick and rounded, and just as long as his fingers. His battle sword hung from his hip and was almost as large and intimidating as he was.

"I want to talk." Kagome growled out, as she realized that Lucian had still not made any effort to address her or quell his demonic energy. It seemed as though he was currently studying the arch of her bow that was peeking its way over her shoulder from her back harness.

Lucian slowly pulled his eyes away from their study of her shoulder and he held her eyes as the corners of his mouth unhurriedly began to turn upwards.

He then growled out several quick sentences in the lowest rumble and smoothest timber that Kagome had ever heard. The sounds of his words rolled over the mountain in a lulling and muted base.

Kagome struggled to pick up on a few words of the language, hoping that she could somehow piece them together so that she could try to understand him.

Lucian watched her for a few minutes, obviously becoming amused as her face twisted in obvious worry.

"Would you prefer this language?" He eventually rumbled out to her, as his eyebrows rose in entertainment and he quickly subdued his suffocating dark aura.

"Yes!" Kagome roared, as she took in a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God! You are able to speak with humans!"

At the dissipation of Lucian's energy, all human members of Alpha Team sat up from their places in the snow and they struggled to now flood their lungs with long lost air.

"I would like to speak with you. I do not wish to fight. I come here only in peace." Kagome said smoothly, as she nodded to Aslaug, hoping the woman would fill in the blanks and get Lucian up to speed.

As Aslaug approached her father and began to whisper to him, Koga hurriedly whispered into her ear from behind her.

"How?" How the hell could you stand up to that?"

"It burned a little, but not enough to wound me." Kagome admitted. "A fight with him could damage me if he were to get serious." She said, seriously. "Thankfully, it didn't come to that."

Before Koga could press her for additional explanation, Lucian spoke.

"What are you called?" He rumbled, as Aslaug stepped away from him and he took a step towards her.

"Wraith." Kagome said, with an air of authority.

Lucian slightly frowned and took another step towards her.

His encroaching proximity sprung Koga into action and he stepped forward, now flanking his mate's side.

"That is not your name." Lucian grumbled. "You used a different name in my dreams." He stated, in a matter of fact tone.

Koga's brows furrowed in confusion as did Kagome's.

"Dreams?" Kagome repeated, seemingly lost.

"You call out to me while I sleep, woman." He drawled. "You are a holy user. You were sent here to provide a service." He growled. "A gift from the Gods."

"Huh?"

"You do not remember this?" Lucian pushed.

"What is he talking about, Wraith?" Koga whispered.

"I have no idea." Kagome answered.

"You do not dream of me?" Lucian growled, fully becoming suspicious.

Kagome tried not to let her mind wander in response to his loaded question.

 _I've dreamt of you for years… but not in the way that you're alluding to._ She thought to herself, as she tried to fight a fiery blush from spreading over her cheeks.

"Kagome…." He rumbled as if suddenly remembering the foreign word, as he took another step forward and unabashedly took a deep draw of her scent. "Your scent…"

"Back off!" Koga roared, as he stepped in front of his mate and bared his teeth. "I don't care how tough or powerful you are, if you so much as touch my mate, I _will_ kill you." He spat, as his eyes turned the deepest of crimson reds and his teeth flew down to his chin. His bonding scent swirled around them, along with his angry black aura as if to back up his words.

"Mate?" Lucian said, completely undisturbed by Koga's threat.

"Yes, we are a bonded pair." Kagome supplied, while worriedly glancing over at Koga.

"That is impossible. Are you not human?"

"No. I truly am a human. It's a long story. The scent you are picking up on is… a form of magic." Kagome supplied, not sure that the real scientific explanation would make any sense to the ancient wolf demon that was standing before her. "It is a magic that allows us to be bound together by scent in a similar way."

"A werewolf _cannot_ bond with a human." Lucian hissed, as he curiously studied them and sniffed at Koga's bonding scent, while his eyes narrowed.

"This one can and obviously _did_." Koga retorted, angrily.

" _You_ are also in the dreams." Lucian said smoothly, as he studied him.

"Huh?"

"Can someone please explain what he is talking about?" Trace cut in. "Wraith, he knows your real name. Do you honestly mean to tell us that you haven't somehow come in contact with this guy before?"

"Um. There _have_ been dreams." Kagome admitted. "Especially lately…" She trailed off, as she remembered the fuzzy meetings that she had been having with Lucian in her dreams as of late.

 _Those were REAL?_ She wondered to herself, slowly becoming horrified.

"What dreams?!" Koga demanded.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to remember.

"Dreams of us talking. I don't remember the details when I wake up though. I just remember that we would speak about something terrible that was upon us." She said, quickly. "I thought they were just random dreams. You know, from all the werewolf books. I didn't know he was really having them, too. I didn't even know he was even still alive!"

"I was in these dreams too?" Koga whispered.

With this Kagome turned beet red.

"Uh oh." Frisk mumbled. "Looks like there was more to those dreams than just talking." He loudly realized, as he scrambled to walk away.

The balance of Alpha Team immediately took off after him.

"Wraith?!" Koga hissed.

"Yes. You were there, too. I don't…"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Koga roared.

"The parts with you were… _sexual_." Kagome squeaked out in a tiny voice, hoping that Koga was the only one able to hear her.

Koga glared back at her.

 _"What?"_ He whispered, venomously.

"These talks are really off to a wonderful start!" Frisk shouted over to Kagome, as he flashed her two thumbs up. "Good job, Rai!"


	27. Chapter 27

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 27

"Could we, maybe, talk about this later?" Kagome begged, as Koga glared at her from over his shoulder.

When Koga didn't immediately respond to her, Kagome sighed and gently shuffled away from him so that she was no longer facing his back.

"Can we please discuss the current situation?" Kagome pleaded, as she now addressed Lucian. "It has come to my attention that you are planning on attacking the humans again tonight. That is something that I cannot allow." She said, sternly.

Lucian raised his eyebrow in amusement as he waved his hand dismissively at the crowd that had gathered around them.

His pack of wolf demons immediately dispersed, finally giving him and Kagome some privacy.

"Allow?" He repeated, in a most serious tone. " _You_ will not _allow_ me to attack the humans on this night?" He said, as his eyes widened at her audacity.

"No, I won't." Kagome said, simply. "Why would you think that I would condone your killing of _my_ people?"

Lucian's head slightly tilted to the side as he attempted to process this. Several seconds passed before he began to viciously smile, as if challenged by her words.

"However shall you stop such a thing, tiny human?" He said, through his sharp and jagged teeth.

"That's easy. I just won't help you." She said, calmly.

Lucian blinked several times as he processed this. He was apparently not prepared for a response from her that didn't involve some threat of violence.

"Help me?" He repeated.

"That's right. I _won't_ help you." She repeated.

"Help me… with what?" He asked, curiously.

"With… whatever bad thing that is about to happen to you and your people." Kagome replied, as she sighed and began to casually study her nails. "That's what we used to speak about in all those dreams. I might not remember the specifics, but I do remember that you needed me." She admitted.

Lucian stared at her as if she had ten heads.

"Were you honestly expecting that I would help you after you killed a bunch of humans tonight? I AM a human!"

With this statement, Lucian narrowed his eyes at her.

"You called upon _me_ in those dreams and you freely _offered_ your aid in the war to come." He rumbled. "I did _not_ request this, nor did I request anything else of you."

"Sounds like something you would do." Koga angrily muttered under his breath.

Kagome wisely chose to ignore him.

"But you readily accepted my assistance. You happily accepted help from this _tiny_ human!" Kagome said quickly, as she pointed to herself.

Kagome hoped she somehow came across as confident as she tried to appear. She truly had no recollection about anything that was said in any of those dreams. However, she had a true gift for bullshit and she could lie with the very best of them. This particular gift had saved countless lives on many occasions. Hopefully it could somehow do so once again.

Lucian scratched his head as he struggled to remember.

 _Almost there._ Kagome thought to herself. _He doesn't really remember everything either._ She realized. _Just a few more pushes and I'll have him right where I want him._

"Please call off the attack on the humans tonight." Kagome said softly, as she took a step towards him. "I am asking this of you as a show of good faith."

Lucian scowled at her.

"No."

"That's truly unfortunate." She said, as she shook her head. "It looks like my job here is done then. It can't be helped." She continued, as she turned around and began to walk away.

Lucian frowned at her.

"You are not going to counter in some way?" He called out after her.

Her easy acquiescence was certainly unexpected and for reasons he couldn't explain, Lucian felt completely cheated out of any opportunity to react to some form of real challenge; physical or argumentative.

"No." She said, copying his earlier dismissive tone. "It's a real shame, too. Annika is going to be so heartbroken." She whispered under her breath, knowing full well that he could hear her.

Before her right foot could hit the snow as she kept up her purposefully slow stride, she felt Lucian suddenly appear next to her. It was as if the man had somehow teleported and it scared the living shit out of her.

"Ahhhh!" She heaved, as her hand flew to her heart. "Don't do that!" She said, angrily. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

The startled sound brought Koga immediately to her side as well.

Before her mate could tear Lucian a new asshole, the intimidating man spoke.

"Repeat that." He angrily demanded. "Immediately!"

"I said, 'no'." Kagome said, calmly. "I will not counter."

Lucian growled lowly in his throat. This arrogant human woman had a real knack for quickly getting under his skin and testing what little patience he had. As far as he could tell, she wasn't a normal holy user by any stretch of the imagination. She was somehow able to withstand the small amount of demonic energy that he had leaked out earlier without so much as a shudder. She also spoke to him as if she were somehow an equal, and she walked around in his presence with absolutely zero fear in her heart. Her werewolf mate seemed to be most aware of the danger he presented and rightfully feared for her safety. However, she seemed to shrug away all of his concerns with utmost ignorance.

He had quickly come to the conclusion that the tiny holy user must be taught a severe lesson for taking him so lightly, as he bared his teeth and leaned his face down so that it was only a quarter inch from hers.

"The other thing you said!" He roared savagely into her face, as his teal irises brightly glowed signaling his frustration.

"I fucking warned you!" Koga spat, as he swiftly raised his fist and swung at him.

Lucian caught Koga's wrist in midair, his eyes never once shifting away from their angry glare into Kagome's. It was as if Koga didn't even exist in his world.

"Fang, back off." Kagome spat. "I got this."

"Like hell!" Koga roared.

In another moment, Kagome flicked her eyes over to Koga and he began to brightly glow.

"Damn… it…" Koga drawled, as his posture slumped.

This got Lucian's full attention and his eyes widened as he now gave Koga's new state his full and undivided attention. It appeared as though the man was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"I said…" Kagome whispered, as she reached out attempted to peel Lucian's fingers away from their tight hold on Koga's wrist. "… that Annika is going to be heartbroken." Kagome said, in a low hum. "There _will_ be repercussions for your actions, Lucian. Not from me, but from the rest of the human race."

Lucian willingly released his hold on Koga's wrist and watched as Kagome slowly walked over to him and cupped her mate's cheek with her hand, stoking it gently with her thumb.

The man closed his eyes and nuzzled into her palm as if he were nothing more than a pup.

 _What is she doing to him?_ Lucian wondered, finding himself oddly nervous as his instincts slightly rumbled within him.

"I know you have been absent from civilization for quite some time. I'm not sure what you do know and what you don't, but the world has drastically changed over the years, as has humanity's choice in weaponry." She cooed, as she tenderly caressed Koga's cheek. "The humans will not send warriors out after you and your people, Lucian. They will blow you up from the skies with weapons so destructive that they will leave craters in the earth and poison the soil. These weapons will ensure that anyone who does survive will be left barren and your species will rot away." She said, sadly. "I should not be here right now, Lucian. I came here only because Annika, _your_ Annika, begged me to try to intervene and find a way to help her people and save her children from the havoc that you have unleashed."

Lucian's features turned into a harsh frown.

"I do not believe you." He growled.

"You don't have to." Kagome said softly, as she pulled out her phone and dialed a recent number. "She'll tell you herself."

Lucian's head tilted to the side in confusion. He was about to ask what she meant, but a rectangular object was thrust in his direction, distracting him. Before he knew what was happening, he was staring into a beautiful and comforting face, one that could never be forgotten.

"Annika?!" Lucian grumbled, as he stared at his mate's face from the palm of his hand.

His brows furrowed when he noticed that she held a baby in her arms. His former mate was also scowling at him.

"What. Did. _You._ Do?" She hissed, through clenched teeth.

"I owe no explanation to you, woman." Lucian grumbled. "You left this pack years ago. My affairs are no longer of your concern."

"Silence, you incorrigible oaf!" Annika roared. "Don't you dare go there with me! Do you have any idea what you have done? You might as well have personally guaranteed the death of our people! How dare you shrug this off!? I will have your head for this!"

Lucian's eye twitched, yet he said nothing.

Several moments of stretched silence passed as the two stared at each other.

"Whose child is that?" He grumbled, under his breath.

"Mine." Annika said, sarcastically.

"Are there others?"

"Several." Annika said, curtly. "Although, I find that since I left the pack _my_ affairs are no longer of _your_ concern." She spat, angrily throwing his earlier words back at him.

Lucian sucked his teeth and sighed in what seemed to be, a swift defeat.

"Come home." He grumbled under his breath.

"I am home." Annika admitted.

"And where might that be, Anni?"

"Japan."

"Have you found yourself a most worthy alpha male there?" He asked, venomously.

"There are no alpha males here." Annika said, quickly. "The Japanese werewolves did away with that archaic system centuries ago and developed a democratic method."

"A _what_?"

"They vote on issues with the majority deciding on the best course of action." Kagome supplied. "All demons and votes are equal."

"An alpha-less werewolf society?" Lucian spat, completely horrified.

"We have evolved." Koga purred, from Kagome's side. "I was the last Japanese Alpha before I made the decision that we were to assimilate into human society."

"Quite the alpha, indeed." Lucian rumbled angrily, as he took in Koga's overly relaxed and glowing state. The man was somehow allowing himself to be manipulated by a human holy user… and he was unabashedly enjoying it.

"Can you please call off tonight's attacks?" Kagome pleaded. "I'd like to negotiate terms with you and figure out a way with which to grant protection to the Norwegian wolves, but I can't do that if you plan to slaughter more people while I am here."

As Kagome spoke out in the background, Lucian studied his former mate's face.

She was giving him 'the look'.

It was a look he was overly familiar with.

If he said no, the woman would indeed come back home, but it would only be to strike him. If matters came to that, she would surely never forgive him.

"Aslaug!" He called out over his shoulder, summoning his youngest daughter to his side.

When the woman approached him, he began to rattle off instructions.

 _"Pass world along to your brothers and sisters. There will be no further attacks on the humans until I give further word. No harm shall come to them from our people until after I finish negotiations with this human."_ He growled, in the shared language.

As he watched Annika smile at him, he felt a weight that he did not know he had been carrying lift from his shoulders. Although the instinctual need to please her was no longer there, he found that he honestly wanted to, now by conscious choice.

"Thank you, my Luci." She whispered. "I am so very proud of you in this moment." She cooed.

"Do come home someday." He growled back to her. "Your… advice is sorely missed."

Kagome sucked her teeth.

"Who says that?" She wondered out loud, as she released Koga from her spiritual hold and made her way over to retrieve her phone. "I miss your advice… not anything else! Gee! How sweet!"

As Lucian scowled at her, his angry thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of Annika's laughter.

"I miss your laughter as well." He admitted, as he studied his former mate's face.

With this Annika genuinely smiled at him and he felt himself relax.

"See! Much better!" Kagome whispered triumphantly, as she took her phone back and bid Annika farewell.

"Come with me, tiny human." Lucian ordered, as he turned to walk in the direction of the mountain. "It is time to discuss terms."

Kagome nodded and took Koga's hand in hers while she set off after him, waving her team over to accompany her as she did so.

* * *

The talks with Lucian had lasted several hours. The demon conducted these talks from his throne room. He sat upon his giant chair, which was positioned on a raised platform, and he was flanked by Aslaug and his son Fenrir, each standing at attention at his sides.

He had also demanded that the talks be conducted in the ancient wolf language so that his children, who on this day, served as his advisors, could fully understand the negotiations. Therefore, Koga and Frisk took on the roles of translators and the team made use of Mystic's mental connection to allow for the quick exchange of ideas while Kagome took the lead as head negotiator.

Kagome and her team, had been seated in small wooden chairs at the bottom of the platform which forced them to stare up at the head of the Norwegian packs. Doing so left Kagome with a painful crink in her neck. Her position in the small chair at the bottom of the platform was a psychologically daunting one as well. She was made to feel tiny and small in her sunken position, and her placement was symbolic of her small stature before the feet of the werewolf king.

And Lucian was just that. A king. He was the alpha of alphas in the country of Norway. Kagome learned that he and Annika had been quite busy over the centuries making and raising many children. All of those children took on alpha roles, by their own power, and ruled over twenty five of the twenty six Norwegian territories, with their father overseeing the last. All children reported in to their father.

If Kagome had to break down the system into medieval Norwegian terms, each of Lucian's children were Earls, and all of these Earls served their father, the King.

Lucian ruled the country and he did so by the use of his very blood.

Kagome had just passed her lengthy notes of demands, along with negotiated terms, over to Koga, and her mate was making short work of reading them off in smooth growls and yips.

She watched on as Lucian and his two children nodded while Koga walked them through their major points of discussion.

When he was done, Lucian stood up and walked down the few stairs of his stone platform and approached Kagome's group, with his two children flanking his sides.

"With this, I believe we can honor a truce." Lucian boomed. "If the humans are able to meet our conditions, that is."

Kagome nodded. "I truly believe that after the recent attacks, the humans will be most willing to listen. Especially if the 'gifted' individual along with his giant 'gifted' society are willing to come to the forefront and alert the world to their presence." Kagome whispered.

"I am willing to do so, only if it allows for protection of the wolves. I want it made clear that my people and I wish to be left alone to live life as we always have… completely _undisturbed_." Lucian warned.

"I will take this proposed truce to my superiors. They will arrange for it to be immediately reviewed by the Norwegian government. Believe it or not, the Norwegian people are widely known for their friendliness and commitment to peace. The last thing they would ever want at this point would be to enter into a civil war."

Lucian nodded.

"It is customary at this point, to shake hands." Koga respectfully requested, from his place at Kagome side.

Lucian seemed to hesitate, but Kagome was quick to get to her feet and thrust out her hand, smiling while she did so.

Lucian eyed her tiny, but muscled, arm with curiosity before he reached out and took her arm below the elbow in a firm grasp.

"Um?" Kagome whispered, quickly becoming confused.

Aslaug chucked and stepped forth, taking Kagome's hand and placing it as close as she could get it to her father's elbow.

Kagome's hand only reached up to his mid arm.

As she grasped what she could, he pulled her to him and tightened his grip on her arm before immediately stepping away and releasing her.

"That's different." She mumbled to herself, before she turned to Aslaug and repeated the 'arm squeezing' process. When done, she moved on to Fenrir and did the same.

When she finished, she turned to watch the rest of her team take their turns to shake hands as well.

 _"You all must be tired."_ Aslaug growled _. "We have prepared private chambers for all of you. Last meal will soon be upon us. You must feast with us."_

Frisk made quick work of translating her words.

"That is very kind of you. We are most grateful for your hospitality." Kagome said, in response.

With this, Lucian sharply whistled, bringing forth two warriors from the background. Upon their approach, he began to growl out, what seemed to be instructions, before taking off.

"They are going to lead us to our rooms." Koga whispered, as the two men began to exit the throne room, prompting Alpha Team to take off after them.

* * *

"The more we walk around this place, the more I feel like we're inside a giant ant farm. So many tunnels, levels and caves… and then more tunnels… leading to more caves! How does anyone know where they're going?" Terrain whispered in total awe, as she sporadically touched the floors and the walls that they walked along.

Lucian's betas were leading Alpha Team to a small private section within the mountain that would serve as their private rooms during their stay there. The two werewolves made great haste and brought the team through, what seemed to be, a zig zagging pathway of caverns.

Once the group arrived at their assigned section, Frisk immediately bolted off, peeking into each of the rooms before calling 'dibs' on one in particular and rushing into it.

Kagome sighed.

"I swear, he really is just like a giant kid." She whispered, as she tried not to smile at his antics.

It was at this time that one of the betas began to speak, addressing only Koga. After a few seconds of apparent instructions, both betas set off, leaving them.

"The howling will signal this night's meal." Koga said quickly, to their Frisk-less team. "Clothing has been provided and can be found in each of our rooms."

"Clothing?" Frisk called out in question, as he poked his head out from his room's doorway.

"Apparently we aren't dressed appropriately." Mystic whispered, as she pulled at her heavy military jacket.

Frisk seemed to think upon this before he disappeared into his room once again. After several seconds, he ran out of his room and attempted to flag down the two exiting betas while Alpha Team watched.

 _"By any chance do you have any fur miniskirts and legwarmers for that guy?"_ He growled in wolf, as he pointed to Koga.

Koga's face immediately dropped and he wasted no time in stomping his way over to him.

 _"Miniskirt? Legwarmers?"_ The betas rumbled, in unison.

 _"Yes, a mini skirt is little piece of cloth, usually worn by females…."_

The two betas looked at each other in confusion. As they were about to question him further, Koga roughly grabbed Frisk by his coat's hood and dragged him back down the hallway and over to the rooms.

"Shut the fuck up!" He spat.

"I'm only looking out for you. The wolf demons here… wear… _pants!_ " He said loudly, in mock horror. "That's an insult to Japanese wolf demon fashion!"

Koga roughly swung Frisk around and slammed him into the wall before angrily releasing him and stomping off into one of the rooms.

"Did you… ask them… for a skirt?" Kagome guessed, while trying her best to stifle her laughter.

"Of course! Legwarmers too!" Frisk said, happily.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief several times before she erupted into a fit of laughter. The rest of the team watched her curiously.

"Fang used to wear a skirt centuries ago." Frisk explained.

"You're kidding." Trace whispered, as he cracked a smile.

"I wish I was, but my memories don't lie. All Japanese wolf demons wore them, but Fang was special. He paired the skirt with legwarmers and a made use of a fake tail to complete the look."

Mystic immediately sputtered as she tried to picture this.

"A fake… what?" Terrain asked, curiously.

"A fake tail. He was the only one that had one. For some reason he thought that he was somehow fooling everyone." Frisk said, seriously. "Even though no other wolf demon had a tail."

"Frisk…." Kagome heaved. "Can you please stop?!"

"I can't, Rai. Everyone on this team deserves to know this." He said with such seriousness, that he might as well have been announcing a death in his immediate family.

"Those are Fang's private memories, Frisk. You have no right to put his private business out there. You're usually really honorable about private stuff like that."

"What is so private about publicly running around in a miniskirt for two centuries?"

"I give up." Kagome sputtered, as she made her way to the room that Koga had angrily chosen for them. "If it helps any, I can promise you that he totally pulled it off. He was incredibly sexy, even back then." She admitted over her shoulder, as she entered her room and closed the door behind her.

Once inside she noted that Koga was inspecting the assortment of leathers and furs that had been laid out for them. Apparently, they were supposed to create their own outfits based on the different sizes of materials that they were provided with.

"What's on your mind?" She gently asked him, as she came up alongside him and tightly wrapped her arms around his waist.

Koga shook his head. "I can't stand him." He grumbled.

"Oh come on, you're actually really amused by the guy. He's a natural antagonist, much like you are." Kagome said softly, as she cuddled into him. "Is this about the miniskirt?"

Koga growled at the mention of the horrendous word.

"It was not a miniskirt!" He roared, while Kagome tried her best not to laugh.

"Okay. You're right. It wasn't." She agreed. "He remembered your wolf demon 'ensemble' from your memories. Of course he was going to tease you about it since an opportunity to finally do so just presented itself."

"My memories or _yours_?" He said, angrily.

Kagome was taken aback by the question.

"Yours, baby. He doesn't have access to any of my memories." She said, seriously. "Why would he?"

Koga stiffened for a moment before he looked over the sincerity that was etched into Kagome's face.

"You two were together… once." He started.

"He always wore gloves." Kagome said, quickly. "Always."

"How is that possible? You were… intimate." He grumbled, choking on the word.

"Frisk _always_ wore his gloves. He only takes them off if he absolutely has to. Believe it or not, he doesn't like all the memories that he's stuck with. They haunt him and change him in some way." Kagome said, bitterly. "That's why he's like that. It is not always clear to him which memories are really his own and which are not. It sucks."

Koga thought upon this.

He knew that if he had such a power, he'd definitely touch Kagome the first moment he had a chance to and as often as he could. He'd want to embrace every memory that the woman had, and forcibly make them his own if given the chance.

"You never asked him to remove his gloves? Not even once?" He pushed.

"I actually did, when things were getting serious between us, but he explained that he wanted to get to know me naturally. He didn't want to know about my past, he didn't want to know if I was lying to him about anything, he just wanted to enjoy learning about me like normal people do." Kagome remembered. "I respected him for it, but I also know that it pains him that he is not able to simply touch anyone with his hands. I know that it messes with him, and it kind of messed with me a little too. It was like there was always a barrier between us."

Koga sucked his teeth. He found that he felt sorry for Frisk. He really did. Not in a condescending way, but as a friend.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Koga trailed off, as if suddenly realizing something.

"What's wrong?"

"He's never touched you before!" Koga roared.

"We've already established that, babe."

"Before I proposed to you, I asked him for ideas because I thought he had your memories."

"Did he tell you that he did?"

"No, but he let me assume that he did. He never once corrected me about it."

"Are you truly surprised?"

"No, actually." Koga admitted, on a huff.

"Shame on you for assuming." Kagome gently chided, as she released her hold on him and began to rummage through her paperwork, preparing to record herself reading her notes from her meeting with Lucian so that she could then send it off to Sesshomaru.

As Kagome made quick work of recording herself, Koga made quick work of changing.

By the time that Kagome sent off her recording, she was instantly greeted by the site of Koga covered in heavy leathers and gray and white furs.

To say that he looked anything less than rugged, intimidating and utterly edible, would have been an understatement.

" _Lord Koga_ , you grace me with your presence." Kagome teased, as she tried to ignore the heat that washed over her and landed gloriously in between her legs.

Koga flashed his perfectly white and sharp teeth in response, obviously picking up on the scent of his mate's instant arousal by his appearance.

"Get changed." He ordered, as his lids became hooded and he lazily smirked at her.

"What's the point? I have a feeling that anything that I put on right now is going to come right back off of me." She purred, as she approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Koga chuckled. "Get changed." He repeated, a little more forcefully this time. "You know what seeing you in furs does to me." He rumbled, as he lowered his mouth to hers and took her in a slow and hungry kiss while his bonding scent gently rolled over her.

Kagome giggled against him. "The wolf demons here don't dress as… _lightly_ , baby." She whispered, as she struggled for an inoffensive word to replace 'skimpily' from her statement. "This is a far cry from the fur mini skirt and tube top that I have at home." She said, as she tugged at Koga's heavy furs.

"I don't care." Koga rumbled, as he slowly trailed his fangs across the length of Kagome's jaw. "Put them on."

"As you wish, _Lord Koga_." Kagome whispered seductively, as she forced herself to step away from him and study the pile of leathers and furs that adorned their bed… which was comprised of another pile of furs.

She felt Koga come up behind her as she did so, wrapping his strong and muscled arms tightly around her waist while gently kissing a trail of kisses down her neck.

"It's hard to concentrate… while you do that." Kagome groaned, as she dropped her head back and lost herself in the feel of him.

Koga sighed and released her, impatiently waiting for her to submit to his earlier demands.

 _Oh to hell with it._ Kagome mentally grumbled, as she pulled several of the smallest furs and leathers over to her and began to change into them.

The clothing was much heavier than she expected and it was difficult to wrap them around her and tie them off. Luckily, she had Koga to help her.

In a few minutes, she found herself covered in the warm dressings and she immediately felt like a character straight out of one of Annika's books.

"All we're missing now are the braids." Kagome whispered, as she twirled around in her warrior costume while Koga slowly sized her up.

In one swift movement, he reached over her and released the tight bun that was trapping her long raven locks of hair.

"Much better." He grumbled in approval, as he trailed his tongue over his slowly elongating teeth.

"Do you approve?" She whispered, her eyes twinkling as he slowly embraced her.

"You are _the_ sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on." He growled, as he lowered his lips to hers. "Always were." He mumbled, before his tongue coasted dominantly over hers.

Kagome closed her eyes and groaned into him, submitting to his urgent ministrations upon her mouth. His hands were everywhere on her body, rubbing, stroking and kneading at her. Koga was an expert at loving her, always knowing, as if instinctually, how she needed to be touched and where, at just the right moments. Before she knew what was happening, she realized that she was desperately thrusting her hips against him, silently begging him to take her.

"Always in such a hurry." Koga growled, in an echoing whisper into her ear.

"Always so slow." Kagome moaned out, in reply. "Ever since the first time."

She tried to ignore Koga's chuckling, the vibrations of which jolted through her own body.

"You are meant to be enjoyed, Kagome." He rumbled, as his right hand began to work its way through her furs and down the skin of her lower stomach.

"You're a tease." She mumbled, as she lost herself in the heat of Koga's warm, clawed hand, which was slowly making its way to her most intimate place.

At the contact, Kagome shuddered and bucked against him.

"Is it not worth it, Kagome?" He whispered, as he began to lightly suck at her neck. "Do I not _please_ you?" He rumbled, as Kagome once again thrust against him.

 _I swear I could cum just from listening to the way he says 'please'._ Kagome mentally groaned, as two of Koga's fingers began to lightly trail over her slickened folds. _And he just has to use it every single time we're intimate._ She realized, as her own hands came forth and began to explore the insides of Koga's heavy furs, smoothing their way down the expanse of his hard and chiseled stomach.

"Always, _Lord Koga_." She whispered, enjoying how he immediately ground his hips against her in response.

 _Two can play at this game._ She thought to herself, as her hands smoothed downwards over his skin, finally coming across the hardened and weeping tip of his manhood. She instantly wrapped her hands around him and began to roll her thumbs over his slickened head, causing him to throw his head back and moan her name while he pushed his fingers inside of her.

"Fuck." Kagome groaned, as she began to pump against him.

She was getting too close too quickly and Koga seemed to notice it as well.

As he withdrew his fingers, Kagome immediately dropped to her knees and forced the length of him deep into her mouth before pulling him back out again, releasing him with a loud pop.

Before she could repeat the motion, a loud, echoing howling sound roared through the mountain, filling each of the individual caves with sound, much like some type of canine siren.

Both Koga and Kagome immediate jerked, becoming startled.

"You _have_ to be kidding me!" Koga shouted, at what seemed to be, the top of his lungs. "Now?!"

As the howling died down, and before he and Kagome could come up with a plan with which to somehow hurry up, a loud banging began to ring out against their door.

"Dinner time!" Frisk shouted, as he pounded against the other side of the solid wood barrier.

Koga growled loudly at the closed door as if it would somehow get him to stop.

"Okay! We hear you! We'll be right there!" Kagome shouted, as she scrambled to take off her pants, with Koga instantly following suit.

With the pants out of the way, Kagome wrapped her arms around Koga's neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs hurriedly around him.

Koga was just about to glide himself inside of her, when Mystic's voice erupted into their joint consciousness, startling them all over again.

 _Hi Guys! Did you just hear the howling? I think it's supper time!_ She said, cheerfully.

Koga sighed and plopped down on the bed in silent defeat.

 _Yes, we heard._ Kagome replied curtly from her place on Koga's lap, as she dropped her head into the crook of his neck and prayed for patience. _It was impossible not to hear. We'll meet everyone in the hall in a few minutes._ Kagome said, flatly.

 _Sounds good! See you then!_

A few seconds later Mystic cut the connection.

"Come on." Kagome urgently whispered, as she stood up on her knees and tried to reposition him against her entrance.

Koga sucked his teeth in frustration and rolled her underneath him. He rushed to take her mouth while he worked himself against her velvet folds, priming himself for entry.

After a few strokes, he wasted no time in harshly plowing inside of her, causing him and his mate to lowly groan and shudder against one another in pleasure.

"I wanted to take my time." Koga grumbled apologetically into her ear from his place above her, as he slammed into her over and over again, while dutifully trying to hold back his own orgasm until she had experienced her own.

"Shhhhh." Kagome huffed, as she allowed her head to roll back and she concentrated on the filling and erotic feel of him.

With every rough thrust, the tightly wound coil that had begun to twist within her lower belly threatened to become harshly undone.

"Tell me you love me, _Lord Koga_." She whispered into his ear, pleading with him.

Koga lifted his head so that he was staring into her hooded eyes as he pulled his cock out from within her.

"I love you, Kagome." Koga growled, in utter devotion. "I will love you always, in this life and in the next." He promised, as he took her mouth with his and slammed himself back inside of her.

Kagome immediately exploded around him, her soul instantly connecting to his, as she pulled him deep within the erotic depths of her orgasm along with her, which in turn, forced his own release from his body.

"What is taking them so long?" Trace's muffled voice could be heard from out in the hallway, as Koga and Kagome regretfully came back down to earth, a little too soon for either of their likings.

"They're obviously having sex! That's all they ever do!" Frisk responded. "Fang has a thing for furs, so there's no way in hell that they're not going at it like rabbits right now.

"Christ. Does he _ever_ shut up?" Koga grumbled, into Kagome's neck.

It sounded as though Frisk was still standing right outside of their door.

"Oh no! I just mentally connected with them a while ago!" Mystic said, suddenly becoming horrified.

"This is just going to escalate." Kagome said angrily, as she gently rolled Koga off of her.

"You should connect with them again to apologize for intruding." Frisk said, smoothly.

"What?! No way!" Mystic sputtered.

"You're right." Koga huffed, as he regretfully made to redress his lower half. "This is _definitely_ going to escalate."

"Hi guys!" Frisk said in a nasal voice, apparently, attempting his best impression of Mystic's overly girly and sweet tone while Terrain snickered in the background. "What were you doing when I so rudely interrupted you before? Were you two having sex… _again_?" Frisk continued, in mock horror, in his high pitched female tone. "You do realize that we are all on a mission here and what you both are doing is completely unprofessional…."

"SHUT UP!" Kagome roared, as she stormed over to her door and kicked it with everything she had.

The thick wood heaved and an angry, deep crack formed down its center.

Her actions immediately silenced all noise that could be heard from out in the hallway.

"Try not to destroy the place." Koga growled in amusement, as he watched his aggravated mate attempt to hastily put on, and refasten, her pants.

"Grrrrrr! How the hell do I do this?!" She roared, instantly becoming frustrated.

Koga couldn't help but loudly laugh as he approached her side and helped her tie everything off.

"All better." He rumbled, as he winked at her.

Kagome quickly rose to her tiptoes to place a tender kiss upon his cheek in gratitude, before setting off to raise holy hell on her team.

She roughly pulled on the cracked door, opening it angrily while she scowled at Frisk and the remainder of her team, who were all covered shoulder to toe in leathers and furs.

Koga took his time in exiting the room behind her, quickly taking the lead in following his nose towards the smell of the food.

The team walked off after him in total silence.

Half way through their travels, the sound of festive music began to slowly rumble through the mountain.

"Sounds like a party." Terrain said, softly.

"Sweet! This should be fun!" Trace said happily, as he picked up his pace.

In a few moments time, they came upon a huge cave. The cave was gigantic and spread outwards to a flat level of land outside. The music was obviously coming from the outside and sounds of festive chatter and dancing echoed back into the mountain. The inside of the cave was littered with long thick tables made of wood and steel, all of which were covered with food.

Kagome quickly inspected the giant meal that was laid out before her, internally jumping for joy that some of it was cooked.

"Where do we sit?" Frisk asked, curiously.

"Hopefully by the roasted pig." Mystic answered, as she eyed a table across the room, which was quickly filling with wolf demons.

The team noticed that no one took a seat.

"They're waiting for Lucian to arrive." Koga explained. "The Alpha always eats first."

As if on cue, Lucian's massive form marched into the mouth of the cave, which marked his grand entrance. He seemed uninterested in the feast and he quickly took off to the platformed table that was in the far reach of the cave.

The moment he sat down, all others hurriedly took their seats.

 _"You will dine at our table."_ A familiar female voice grumbled out from behind them, directing the statement to Koga.

"Follow Aslaug." Koga advised, before he set off after her.

"Wow. He's letting humans eat with him?" Frisk whispered to Kagome. "Isn't that against the rules?"

"It usually would be." Kagome admitted. "However, we are here to give him want he wants. Protection of his wolves and protection of his pack. I think that warrants an exception, even for him."

Frisk seemed to ponder this for a moment, before lightly grabbing her shoulder and slowing his pace.

"Don't you feel like things are going just a tad too smoothly?" He whispered.

When Kagome shot him a curious look, he hurried to continue.

"Lucian is dangerous, Rai. We all got a little taste of just how dangerous he really is when we first arrived here. He has no real reason to negotiate with the humans. He could easily slaughter all of them, all by himself. Why has he been so agreeable thus far?"

Kagome's features twisted into a frown.

"I'm only assuming it is because his former mate is asking this of him."

"They are not a bonded pair, Rai. He has no instinctual reason to listen to her or try to pacify her any longer." Frisk warned.

"Just because they are no longer mated does not mean that he doesn't still care for her, Frisk. She is the mother of his children. From what I gather, those children don't want to go to war. Aslaug seemed more than happy to help us upon her mother's wishes."

"Speaking of her mother… How do you know her?"

"She is mated to one of Fang's friends. She left this pack a long time ago and met him while traveling to Japan. They have children together." Kagome informed him. "I met her over dinner while on vacation."

Frisk began to nervously run this fingers through his spiked blond hair as he digested this new information.

"I'm worried, Rai. Something seems off about all of this but I can't place my finger on exactly what." He said, with a trace of worry in his deep voice.

Kagome worriedly studied him.

"When we first got here, Lucian instantly recognized you. He seemed to accept you in some way." He started, before licking his lips. "He said you had come to him to perform a service. You were a gift from the gods. Then he said that you readily offered him your help, in a dream. Were these human negotiations a part of your expected service to him, Rai?" He said, as his voice sharpened and his brows furrowed.

Kagome thought upon this and shook her head in the negative.

"I didn't think so either." Frisk admitted. "What I'm getting at here is, is he going to let you leave tomorrow morning? He seems to think you're going to stick around so that you can do something for him. Do you remember anything about those dreams at all, Rai?"

Kagome halted in her stride and studied Frisk's face.

"Not really. I remember that there was going to be a war. But I don't remember with who or why. I got the sense that he needed my help, but I also needed his."

"Find out what those dreams were about and figure out what his expectations are of you." Frisk said, seriously.

"I have intended to have that conversation since we got here." Kagome said, authoritatively. "Now that the human talks are out of the way, I don't see why I can't approach him about the dreams after dinner." She whispered, as she approached Lucian's table and took her seat next to Koga.

Frisk immediately took the empty seat at her side.

Kagome was expecting some kind of wordy toast, but none was given. Instead, their main table began scarfing down the offered food the moment that Lucian took a bite of his own.

"No raw meat." Kagome whispered, as Koga reached for the bloody chunks of meat that were placed on their table. "I don't have any amoxicillin on me."

"I'll brush my teeth." He said quickly, before Kagome elbowed him in the stomach.

"I don't remember us making this trip with any of our personal effects. We left those on the plane. Did you just so happen to pack a toothbrush in your tactical utility belt?" She asked, sarcastically.

Koga's hand halted in it's reach for the tantalizing raw and bloodied meat and he slowly retracted it, as if his hopes and dreams had suddenly become lost along with his toothbrush.

As a last resort, he gently nudged Aslaug and began to growl to her.

"I doubt they have toothbrushes, babe." Kagome whispered, as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Koga whipped his head around and flashed Kagome his most spectacular, winning smile. "They do have something."

"I'm afraid to ask."

"It is made of tightly bound animal hair."

Kagome loudly gagged before she could stop herself.

The sound set off a gag from Frisk at her side as well.

"How the hell is a wad of wet animal hair in your mouth hygienic? What is used for toothpaste?"

"You don't want to know."

"You're right, I don't."

Koga sighed and dejectedly focused his attention on the cooked food.

About an hour into the meal, many of the wolf demons began to make their way outside, obviously to join with one another in the hypnotic music sounding off there.

Kagome had just finished off her plate when Lucian's voice boomed out over her, from above.

"Walk with me." He growled, as Kagome looked up at him from her seat.

 _How the hell can he move so damn fast? Can he really teleport in some way?_ She thought in wonder, as she studied Lucian's harsh and expectant face.

"Sure. I was actually hoping to speak with you." She admitted, as she rose from her chair and came to his side.


	28. Chapter 28

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 28

Lucian quickly walked off, and Kagome struggled to keep up with him.

A few steps in and she realized that Koga had quickly come to join them as well.

"I'm coming too." He growled.

"You are not." Lucian grumbled, in a low baritone of warning.

"My woman's safety is my only concern." Koga spat, immediately tensing.

"Bonded males…." Lucian said, in a low voice. "… are more trouble than they are worth."

"Fang, please." Kagome whispered. "I need to speak with him. I'll be fine." She promised.

"How do you know that?" Koga said, angrily.

"Listen to your instincts, are they telling you that I'm in danger right now?"

"They're telling me that _he_ IS danger." Koga said, in a low hiss.

Lucian abruptly stopped walking and turned his intimating gaze upon the arguing couple.

"You can willingly leave, or I will incapacitate you. The choice is yours, little Japanese alpha."

Koga immediately scowled at his new nickname.

"Baby, please. Just go. I don't want any trouble. I'll be right back. Trust me."

Koga worriedly flicked his eyes over to Kagome's.

"I'll be fine." She reassured him.

With what looked to be a massive amount of effort, Koga slowly turned and walked away.

"You weren't the same way with Annika?" Kagome asked him curiously, as Lucian set forth once again.

"While Annika was my mate, she was always here, under _my_ protection. I had no reason to chase threats away from her as there never were any." He admitted.

 _You were the biggest threat in this place._ Kagome realized.

"I'd like to discuss those dreams." Kagome whispered, as she walked. "In detail."

"In due time." Lucian rumbled. "First, I would like to see what you are capable of, tiny human."

 _'Tiny human' appears to have become my new name._ Kagome thought on a huff, as Lucian led her through the winding maze that made up the inner mountain, before leading her back outside to the area that her team first appeared in.

Kagome clutched at her furs as the chilled air bit at her face.

"What are you expecting me to do?" She asked, curiously.

"Light up the sky." He commanded, as his naturally glowing teal eyes lit up his face in the dark.

"Um? I'm not quite sure what you're asking of me." She admitted.

Lucian stormed off to the base of the mountain and shuffled through several piles of weapons before returning to her with a bow and several arrows.

"Light. Up. The. Sky." He repeated, as if she were stupid.

 _Jerk._ Her mind spat, as she expertly positioned an arrow within the carved wooden bow.

"This would actually work a lot better if the arrows were silver." She grumbled, as she began to channel her energy into the steel tip of the arrow.

The arrowhead came alive in a blaze of white light and Kagome aimed for the crescent moon that teased them from behind the clouds.

Kagome steadied herself before she quickly released the projectile and it warmly lit up a portion of the sky, leaving a blazing trail in its wake.

Several seconds later, she allowed the arrow to dim and go out completely before she turned to face Lucian.

He seemed unimpressed.

"That is the extent of your power?" He asked, angrily.

"You just told me to light up the sky and I did. What's the problem?"

"I expected more from you."

"If you wanted something different, you could have provided me with some actual detailed instructions." She retorted, becoming agitated. "If you think lighting up the sky is so simple, then why don't you do it?" She said, as she shoved the bow back in his direction.

"In the dreams you show me a night's sky that is bathed within a blinding white light." He growled.

"I don't remember any of that." She replied, beginning to lose her patience. "Are you sure I was doing it with one of my arrows?"

"I see your arrow shooting across a sky illuminated by white light in my dreams."

"Can't help you there."

"You can withstand my energy, you must have some level of celestial power."

"Look, I'd love to speak in riddles with you all night, but I'd much rather if you told me everything that you remember from those dreams. To be honest, I don't remember much of anything. I never took them seriously. I thought you were just the result of an overactive imagination. I never paid any of those dreams much mind."

"An overactive imagination? You called out to me in those dreams. You requested my audience."

"Yes, I'm sure I did." Kagome said quickly, trying to push all her crazy fantasies out of her head. "But it was most likely out of habit and it surely wasn't for any valid reason."

"How could you call out to me if you did not know of me?"

 _How to answer that?_

"From the books." She admitted. "I've read a lot about you over the years. I only recently came to find out that you were, in fact, real and not a fictional character. Once I saw a sketch of you, I finally had a face to place along with the name. I'm still not sure how I could have somehow connected to you, but I'm sorry that I did and I'm sorry if I wasted your time."

"Books?"

"You are the most famous werewolf of all time. There are a ton of stories about you, compiled from dark tales amassed over the centuries." Kagome said, simply. "Everyone has heard of Lucian the lycan in some form."

Lucian seemed absolutely bewildered by this information.

"You've left quite a mark on the human race."

"So you know nothing of the war that is upon us?" He questioned.

"What war?"

Lucian sucked his teeth.

"One that involves the holy users."

Kagome instantly stiffened, which did not go unnoticed by Lucian.

"You claim ignorance, but your body tells me otherwise."

 _Could he be talking about The Order?_ Kagome worried, as her eyes widened.

Kagome's hand shot out without her permission and grabbed onto the edge of Lucian's bear skin pelt.

"I need you to tell me everything that you know and I need you to do it now." She demanded, slowly becoming terrified.

Lucian studied her change in demeanor suspiciously.

"My instincts warn me of a war against my people. I dream of purification, ash and burnt flesh. Masses of demonic bloodlines will be removed from this world in an instant."

 _He is a clairvoyant._ Kagome realized.

"Do you know anything about the group responsible for this mass demonic purge?"

"I see no faces. I only see the aftermath." He growled, as he pulled forth his giant battle sword from his hip and began to use its pointed edge to draw a large circle in the snow.

Kagome sadly stared at it before she withdrew an arrow and used it to draw an angry line within the center of Lucian's circle.

Lucian looked upon the new image with a sense of familiarity.

"The Order." She whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "That is what they are called and this is the symbol they use to identify themselves." She said, as she stared at their joint drawing in the snow.

Lucian said nothing as he looked upon her.

"They believe that the delicate balance between darkness and light is off kilter. They've been killing gifted beings, descendants of human and demon pairings, in an effort to restore this balance. My organization has been after them for quite some time."

"Watered down demonic blood will not satiate them for long." He growled, knowingly.

"Their leader is rumored to be the most powerful holy user of all time." Kagome whispered. "My people are trying to infiltrate this group, but are finding stunted success."

"The most powerful holy user of all time is dead." Lucian grumbled. "I killed her personally and I nearly died in the process."

"How many centuries ago was that, Lucian? New holy users are born everyday."

Lucian abruptly tore his eyes away from her and now studied the stars in the sky.

"Show me your level of power, Kagome." He requested.

 _Hey! He used my real name!_ Kagome thought, allowing herself a small moment of happiness.

"You may want to back away." She said honestly, as she motioned for Lucian to leave her.

He immediately scoffed at her.

"Fine. It's your funeral." She mumbled, before walking away from him and closing her eyes.

She allowed her body to relax before she willed herself to let loose, which was something she very rarely allowed herself to do.

As a result, she was immediately engulfed within a blinding blast of white light. The heavy power of which, blew her loose hair up towards the sky.

As her powerful energy exploded from her body, she easily channeled it, visualizing it rotating around her body as she had been taught to do.

Lucian's sharp intake of breath did not go unnoticed by her, and she quickly opened her eyes to study his reaction.

"You _are_ one of The Celestial." He rumbled as he walked towards her, while his glowing teal eyes began to slowly bleed red, and his own dark aura began to wrap around his body, as if in instinctual protection.

As Lucian's appearance began to change into one of bloodlust, and as he slowly got within a few feet of her, their auras began to angrily clash, sending electric sparks off in numerous directions around them.

Their newfound close proximity allowed Kagome to feel something she had never felt before… a slow and throbbing spiritual kind of fear. Not an overwhelming one, but a stern warning.

 _Lucian can harm me. He is more powerful than I am, but not overwhelmingly so._ She realized. _His level of power is one thing, however, his physical prowess is another matter entirely, it is something that I cannot hope to compete with._

"You will be most useful." Lucian rumbled in a terrifying demonic echo, as his black aura clouded over him and covered him in shadow.

"Are you in control right now?" Kagome asked, hesitantly. "Or are you just letting loose?"

When he did not immediately respond to her, she began to grow nervous.

"Lucian?" She called out, into the darkness that now stood before her.

As if on habit, she began to channel some of her energy into her rings, watching as her spiritual claws slowly extended from her fists.

"Lucian, can you answer me? Are you in control?" I _will_ protect myself if I have to."

"Why would you hunt down your own people?" A guttural growl boomed at her.

"Because they are killing innocent people. My organization's goal is to try to avoid conflict, aggression will only be used as a last resort."

"You exist to kill demons." The voice hissed, now from behind her.

Kagome immediately jerked, becoming startled at his instantly changing directions.

"In case you haven't noticed, I am in love with a demon. That demon, owns my heart, body and soul. Not all demons are evil, nor are all humans." She said honestly, as she sought out the direction of Lucian's voice.

As if immediately satisfied by her answer, Lucian quelled his dark energy. Once he did so, his form immediately materialized in front of Kagome.

"Spoken like a true mated female."

Kagome sighed, as she quashed her own powers.

"Why him?" Lucian asked, curiously. "Are there not humans that would have been more suitable? You can not stand by his side for long. Humans expire from this world quickly. The road you are on will be an extremely painful one for each of you."

"I used to worry about that a lot." Kagome admitted. "But fate found a way to bind us together in body, soul… and time. I share my mate's natural lifespan. As long as neither one of us is killed, I can stand by his side for the remainder of his days."

"No such power exists."

"Tell me that in a century."

Lucian's lip rose, exposing the length of his sharp incisor in amusement.

"A holy user who has mated a werewolf, who also has a werewolf's lengthy lifespan and a bonding scent made of magic…." Lucian growled. "…and claws made of purification light."

"I didn't luck out on the scary teeth though." She retorted, without missing a beat.

Her remark treated her to the sound of Lucian's laughter. It was surprisingly mirthful and rich in its tone.

"What is your mate's true name?" Lucian asked, as he now smiled at her.

"Koga, last Alpha of Japan's United Tribe. He once ruled the entire country, much like you do here."

"Bear him many children." Lucian ordered. "Carry his line, and yours, forth into the world. I would find interest in the tales of your descendants."

Kagome wasn't expecting this, and her expression immediately fell.

"Right." She said, dismissively.

"You do not wish to have children?" Lucian questioned, most curiously.

"I do at some point." She muttered. "But I am a holy user." She said, as if it explained everything.

"You do not wish to taint your bloodline with that of a demon?" Lucian rumbled, angrily.

"What? That's not it at all!" She spat. "It just seems as though it may be impossible. How would the child survive the pregnancy?" She said, angrily.

 _Stop getting so upset._ Her mind chided. _This is none of his business. Don't let him goad you._

"Why wouldn't the child survive?" Lucian rumbled, suspiciously.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? The child would be purified by my soul. It would die and I wouldn't be able to stop it." Kagome roared. "It would be cruel to even attempt a pregnancy."

Lucian's head tilted as he thought upon this. It took several minutes before he spoke again.

"The child would have your blood as well."

"Purification light harms half breeds."

"The child would be half holy user."

"No it wouldn't. To be a holy user, one must have pure human blood. It must be untainted." Kagome informed him.

"I was not aware." Lucian said, a hint of remorse now lacing his heavy masculine tone. "For this I am sorry."

Kagome stared angrily at the floor, refusing to look up at the intimidating man. She didn't know why, but she felt completely vulnerable and small right now.

"Your power does not seem to harm your mate." Lucian whispered to himself, as if realizing something monumental. "It may not harm his child either."

"What?" Kagome whispered, shocked. "Yes it does. He runs like hell the moment I use my purification powers."

"You were using your powers on him earlier today. You were manipulating him… in some way." He said roughly, as if he were disgusted by the memory.

"Those weren't purification powers."

"Purification is the channeling of clean spiritual energy. All holy user abilities are based within purification."

"That's not tr…" Kagome sputtered, before trailing off.

 _They are! He's right!_ Kagome's mind roared, her heart rate accelerating as she remembered all of Trinity's teachings. _The shield, the tracking abilities, the claws, the channeling, the barriers, the seals… they are all based upon different concentrations of my soul's pure energy. I shouldn't be able to use ANY of my powers directly on Koga without them harming him._

It was at this time that another daunting thought came to her.

 _Koga is also able to unintentionally connect with me spiritually._ Kagome realized. _My soul. The part of my soul that lives on within him, protects him from my powers._ She thought. _It is also what has been allowing him to connect with me._

Kagome stared down at her hands and summoned her purification light into her rings, watching on as her claws extended while a memory of Trinity's words rang into her mind.

 _"Channel into them and see if a weapon forms. The weapon should represent your soul."_

 _Claws don't represent my soul. Not by any stretch of the imagination._ Kagome realized. _They represent Koga's soul. The portion of soul that he gifted to me, along with the exchange of his time through the Tenseiga._ She thought, becoming amazed.

"You two share more than just the physical werewolf bond. Don't you, tiny human?"

"We do. We each share one blended soul."

"Your purification powers would no sooner harm his child as they would harm him." Lucian said, confidently.

"But my purification powers do harm Koga when used in their purest form."

"You have tested this?"

"Well, no. His instincts won't allow for him to be near me while I channel purification light. Plus, I don't want to chance harming him."

"Try." Lucian ordered.

"Are you insane? No way!"

Lucian smirked at her. "I could help you. Would you allow this?"

Something about Lucian's smile ran a wave of warning throughout her body.

"What do you intend to do?"

"Assist, nothing more." He grumbled, his eyes becoming wide and amused.

"How?"

"Do you accept the offer? Do you wish to bear that man's children?"

"Well, of course I do. But…"

"Then you accept." He said dismissively, as he turned around and took off back into the mountain.

"Wait!" Kagome shouted, as she struggled to keep up with him. "I didn't accept anything! What do you plan to do?!"

"Challenge him. A challenge that he will not refuse." Lucian grumbled, with an air of excitement lacing his voice.

It had been a while since Lucian saw any real form of action, and he prided himself on his swift ability to provide himself with some. Plus, he wanted to see just what the head alpha of the country of Japan had to offer him in the way of skill.

"You'll do no such thing!" Kagome roared.

Lucian chuckled and sprung forth. By the time that Kagome realized what he had done, he was gone.

 _He must truly be able to teleport. There's no way he moves that fast!_ Her mind roared, as she summoned her tracking powers and ran off to find Koga.

* * *

"Would you stop worrying! She's going to be fine!" Frisk shouted to Koga, over the roar of the heavy throbbing music.

The remainder of Alpha Team had joined in the festivities outside and were currently dancing along with the masses of wolf demons, enjoying themselves. The demons who were not dancing or drinking, had taken to fornicating along the edges of the mountain in plain view.

"The Japanese wolf demons were never so free!" Frisk shouted, as he pointed to a pair going at it, off in the distance.

"We had much more class!" Koga roared, bewildered by the way the Norwegian packs conducted themselves.

"Sex is natural. They have enough sense to embrace it here." Frisk shouted back, as he took a sip of his ale.

Koga was about to offer a swift comeback when a blast of dark and suffocating energy rolled over the opened landscape, startling all within.

 _"Last Alpha of Japan!" A_ deep masculine voice roared out from the mouth of the cave that served as an entrance to the dinning hall. _"I challenge you!"_

The entire horde of dancing bodies, along with the mirthful music that was booming out in the background, immediately halted.

"I think he's talking to you." Frisk whispered, worriedly. "What the hell did you do, Fang?!"

 _"KOGA!"_ The voice roared out, in the wolf language.

"He knows your real name!" Frisk spat, quickly stepping in front of Koga, trying to hide him behind his larger frame.

"Get off of me!" Koga roared, as he pushed Frisk away and marched off towards Lucian, trying to ignore the fear that began to rumble over his bones.

Lucian studied him and smirked, making great display of his sharp tusked fangs.

 _"Holmgang!"_ Lucian spat. _"The stakes are your mate!"_

 _"What?!"_ Koga hissed, stupidly.

Aslaug nervously approached the men.

 _"Father, you cannot be serious!"_ She said, in a raised whisper. _"That woman is human."_

 _"What is going on?"_ Koga shouted.

 _"Homgang is a challenge. A fight to the death."_ Asulag said, angrily. _"Father, you have gone mad."_

 _"If you do not move daughter, I will cut through you."_ Lucian, growled.

Aslaug shook her head and swiftly got out of the way.

 _"You want to fight me for, Kagome?"_ Koga spat, angrily.

"With your death your mating ties will be naturally broken." Lucian growled.

A challenge over a mate, was not something specific to the Norwegian tribe by any stretch of the imagination. This was a common occurrence across all wolf demon civilizations. Koga had watched such fights, both female and male, erupt many times over the centuries. Bonded partners usually always won. However, bonded partner or not, the instinctual drive to fight to the death to protect his mate would probably not be enough if the challenger was the mighty Lucian.

"I will lay with your woman on this night and breed her in the way she often dreams about!" Lucian shouted venomously, knowing full well his words would incite Koga to fly into an unbridled rage.

He fought to restrain himself from chuckling when the Japanese alpha's harsh punch struck his jaw and slightly swayed him.

With this, all hell broke lose. All wolf demons ran to return to the inside of the mountain, scrambling to get back inside of the natural rock barrier and away from the suffocating and deadly aura that was sure to erupt across the landscape outside.

Alpha Team, however, scrambled over to somehow protect Koga, and all jumped onto Lucian's back to try and restrain him.

The man used his explosive black aura to blast their bodies away as if they weighed no more than paper, before taking off further down the field.

"Come, little alpha!" He taunted, to Koga's now bloodlust form.

"Fang, don't listen to him!" Mystic roared, as she struggled to get back onto her feet. Wraith would never accept him. She would never be with that guy! You know that!"

Koga made no indication that he even heard her as he took off at top speed towards, Lucian.

"He can't refuse!" Frisk shouted, as he flew to Mystic's side and helped her up. "He instinctively can't refuse. His body won't let him." He continued, worriedly. "It doesn't matter that Wraith would never accept anyone but Fang. He's a mated male and he's hard wired to fight for his rite to partner with Wraith, to the death if need be!" He shouted. "Keep in mind, all these guys might look like humans, but they're all really giant demonic wolves in disguise! They behave in similar ways to their animal companions!"

"What the fuck are we going to do?!" Terrain screamed. "Lucian will kill him!"

"Where the fuck is Wraith?!" Trace, shouted. "She can stop that guy!" He continued, before a dark blast of suffocating energy blew him down against the ground.

"Damn it! We need to get inside!" Mystic screamed, as she attempted to crawl to the mouth of the cave.

Alpha team groaned as they tried to breathe and somehow shimmy over to the mountain before them, while being pressed against the ground as they did so.

"Get… Rai…" Frisk sputtered, as he attempted to catch his breath. "Mystic…"

"I'm trying…" Mystic responded, as she tried to summon Kagome's consciousness while trying to keep her own from fading to black.

Before Mystic and the balance of her team passed out, she dumbly realized that she was being dragged inside of the cave along with Terrain.

The moment she was set down, she scrambled to fill her lungs with air.

She then noticed, from her peripheral vision, that two small female hands with fingers covered by silver bands, were straining to pull Frisk to her side before returning once again with Trace.

"Help them!" Kagome roared to the two recovering females, as she ran at top speed outside.

* * *

Koga, if he had any semblance of his sanity, would have been impressed with the ferocity and utmost demonic energy with which he fought. Although his body was bowed and slowed by the dark oppressive aura of his opponent, he moved like a man who, for once, did not fear death.

His beast was in full rage and although it assumed that it _would_ die during this encounter, it was fully prepared to do so as long as it could also destroy the man that intended to steal his mate away in the process.

The embracement of death, along with all of the recent training with his demonic powers against Sesshomaru, had truly evolved his soul to an unforeseen level.

Had Koga been conscious, he might have actually been quite proud of himself, indeed. However, that was not the case this night.

He could not hear Kagome crying out to him, nor could he feel the pain of Lucian's claws tearing through the cartilage of his arm as he slashed the man's snarling face, drawing angry red lines upon it, which cried liquid crimson as a result.

Koga acrobatically flipped backwards, twisting in the air before rolling on the ground, swinging his feet upwards and connecting the forceful momentum with Lucian's jaw.

The man took several steps backwards, attempting to recover. While he did, he pulled his huge battle sword from its place on his hip and charged Koga, swinging the blade in the air and blasting him backward, singeing his furs and his skin in the process.

"Goraishi!" Koga roared out in response, hurling an explosive electric blast in his direction.

The force was so powerful, it scarred the side of the mountain.

Lucian protected himself with his aura, and seemed most impressed with Koga's sudden materializing weapon.

Within an instant, the werewolf king moved. It was a movement so fast that it could not be tracked. Koga, who had fought valiantly this day, realized the man's close proximity only when it was far too late.

The massive opponent grabbed him by his neck and swung him upwards into the air. As he did so, he noted with curiosity that his victim was apparently wrapped within a tight blue protective shield.

Lucian wasted no time in strengthening his grip around Koga's throat, watching as the shield slightly splintered as Koga attempted to once again slash his face during the process.

"You could stop this!" He roared, to the tiny screaming woman who was running to his side.

"Let him go!" Kagome yelled, at the top of her lungs. "Stop this! I'm begging you! You're killing him!"

"You must make me, tiny human." He grumbled, sadistically.

"Please! I'll give you anything you want! Please release him!" She screamed, as she tried to jump up and grab a hold of Lucian's arm, attempting to somehow lower it.

"You could stop this." He repeated, watching on with curiosity as the blue shield seemed to angrily reinforce itself.

This just made him tighten his grip further.

"I will fight you!" Kagome roared.

"Why don't you just cut his sack off and parade it around for all to see, woman!" Lucian spat. "He is a male. It is not your place to enter this challenge and fight on your own behalf. You happily emasculate him! Know your place!"

"I don't give a shit!" Kagome growled. "Stop!" She roared.

At this point she watched on as Koga's right hand came forth, expertly blasting the Goraishi against Lucian's chest.

The man took the attack full on. His body blackening for a moment as he did so.

"That tickles." He said, smugly. However, angry burned slashes defiantly appeared on his skin in contrast to his lighthearted words.

 _It had hurt._ Kagome realized. _But it wasn't enough._

When Lucian's free hand raised his sword, Kagome was forced into a metaphorical corner.

Without thinking, she released as much energy as she could muster into her fists and she drove her claws deeply into Lucian's side.

The man immediately dropped his sword and Koga in the process.

Koga was instantly back on his feet, his elongated teeth dripping with saliva and his once tied off hair was now freely blowing upwards towards the sky against his black and overwhelming energy.

However, Lucian's next move was unexpected, he grabbed Kagome roughly by her furs and pulled her to him, securing her against his chest with one arm, while wrapping his free hand around her throat with his other.

This effectively halted Koga within a stunted and frozen state.

"Blast me away." He growled softly, into Kagome's ear.

"I can't! I might kill you!"

 _Stupid woman. You do not wish to kill me even though I am your enemy?_ Lucian thought to himself, as he tightened his grip around Kagome's neck.

Koga immediately sprung forward, but halted a few feet from Lucian as if unsure how to proceed without somehow harming Kagome.

"Blast. Me. Away." Lucian whispered, into Kagome's ear. "I can take it. I swear this to you."

"But… Koga…." Kagome sputtered, gasping for breath.

"He can as well." Lucian promised. "Your soul will protect him, along with his own powers."

"Too… much… risk…." Kagome whispered, as her world began to fade to black.

As she was about to lose consciousness, her purification energy exploded around her, summoned only by an instinctual need with which to protect her life.

As Lucian dropped her, his own aura instantly formed a shield around him while he teleported away.

Before Kagome hit the ground, she felt two strong arms gently catch her.

As she struggled to breathe, these arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a glowing blue chest.

 _Our spiritual connection… is protecting him... from me._ Kagome realized, as she fought the fog from her brain.

"You share a soul, tiny human." Lucian rumbled out to her.

"Koga?" Kagome whispered, as she looked up and searched her mate's savage features.

She didn't know why, but she wanted to cry.

The beast, who was in full control of Koga's body right now, seemed to pick up on her vulnerability. More so than the battle, or the current state of bloodlust and stress, his desire to comfort her took precedence and he nuzzled into her as if to somehow reassure her in some way.

"Call your mate off. This battle is done. He has survived it." Lucian growled.

Kagome chanced a glance over at Lucian and noticed that his face had already completely healed, as did the electric burns that once covered his exposed skin, courtesy of Koga's earlier Goraishi. She was pretty sure her claw wound to his side had healed as well.

 _He truly commands God like power._ Kagome thought to herself, as she reached into Koga's soul and forcibly worked to calm him down.

As Koga was about to collapse, she swiftly anchored herself under his arm, now supporting him.

"It's okay." She whispered. "You won." She said softly, knowing full well that the battle had ended with Lucian's uninterested forfeit.

"I will kill him." Koga rumbled.

"Of course you will, just not tonight." She soothed. "You were amazing. You really were." She admitted. "I've never known that you were so utterly powerful, Koga." She whispered. "My strong and powerful, alpha male." She cooed, feeling as Koga relaxed into her.

She was vaguely aware that she was still in purification mode until she realized that Koga was still within her protective blue barrier.

 _I can't call forth the shield while I go into full purification mode._ She thought to herself, remembering how she had died learning that particular lesson. _Koga is instinctually putting up the shield all on his own, and my soul is providing him with the power to actually do it._ She realized, amazed.

The moment she quelled her holy powers, Koga's shield went out as well.

 _Amazing._ Kagome whispered, internally to herself. _Absolutely amazing._

"We can talk about repayment for my services at another time." Lucian said smugly, as he approached them.

"Repayment… _for your services_?!" Kagome spat. "Are you fucking insane?! I didn't want any of this!"

"You wanted to have a child with this, alpha. Now, you know you can." He said, quickly. "Your soul will instinctually protect his flesh and blood, _from you_." He growled. "You probably wouldn't be able to call forth your purification powers during the pregnancy even if you tried to. Your soul would not allow for such a thing." He pushed, as he flicked his eyes over to Koga, noticing that the man's eyes had returned to their previous state of blue. "Just as it didn't allow you to harm him."

"You're a real asshole, you know that?!" Kagome hissed.

"So I've been told."

"You don't even care!" Kagome shouted, incredulously. "You created this whole terrible situation, you harmed my mate, you endangered his safety, for what?!"

"Your mate will heal." He replied, as if she were stupid.

Before Kagome could fully lose her shit on the werewolf King, the man walked away from her and howled loudly. His voice was almost hypnotic as it summoned his pack back outside.

"We're continuing the party?!" Frisk translated, from his place within the cave. "Is he nuts?!"

"You're kidding me." Kagome mumbled, as she watched the wolf demons flood back outside from the mountain and she heard the music quickly pick back up around her.

Koga shook his head and sighed, while his relaxed and hooded eyes gazed at his furious mate.

"They do things differently here. Apparently challenges for mates are pretty normal and… very much welcomed." He realized.

"No kidding." Kagome whispered, against the loudening music.

"Do you want to fill me in on what all that was really about." He grumbled, as he inspected his injured arm.

Kagome took a deep breath and brought Koga up to speed on her private time with Lucian, all that was said, and all that had just happened as a result of it.

"So… we _can_ have kids?" Koga grumbled, somewhat hopeful.

"Who the hell knows?! He walks away like he's just proved something, but really, who the hell knows?!" She roared, frustrated. "All he proved is that I can't harm you."

"He did. To us both." Koga admitted. "Which is really good to know."

"We could have just tested it on our own, _safely_!" Kagome hissed, becoming angry all over again.

"We never would have." Koga grumbled, more to himself than her. "We've always been too afraid to even try. My instincts would never allow for it, nor would your protective nature truly test it."

* * *

 _Everyone here just loves me!_ Inuyasha thought to himself, as he wandered through the guarded rooms during the night.

All members here seemed joyful to see him and did not hesitate to speak to him or pet him, and he strolled right into places that he found out at dinner were 'strictly off limits'.

"Well isn't it Richard's dog?" Came a soft female voice from the top of a row of stairs, leading beneath the structure. "Are you lost?" She asked him, as she kneeled down to pet him.

"Woof!" Inuyasha said, happily.

"You are just too cute!" Amber said, as she giggled while she petted the creature.

"Woof!"

After a few minutes time, the woman reluctantly stopped stroking Inuyasha's fur and set forth down the stairwell. She did not reprimand Inuyasha in any way as he came along.

"Awww, he likes me." She whispered to herself, as she took him through several locked doors.

 _What is this place?_ Inuyasha wondered, as he took note of the numerous gathering rooms that they passed, before coming to a room that required a keycard in the far back.

Amber began to hum as she opened the secure door and set off into the room.

Inuyasha casually broke away from her, and began sniffing around, while taking note of the sheer amount of computers within the room.

In his search, he came across a long window that looked down into another level.

As he peered into it, he saw a giant machine, and there were several holy users with clipboards apparently studying it.

 _What the fuck is that?_ He thought, before he set off to find a way in which to get downstairs.

Amber appeared to be busy reviewing text from one of the computer's monitors and she paid him no mind when he found a door, and tried to open it with his paw.

When the door opened, she looked up and smiled at him.

"You can open doors!" She said, in a singsong voice.

"Woof!"

"Seeing Eye dogs really are something." She continued, as she made her way over to him. "Would you like to check out the machine?" She said, sweetly. "You just want to investigate everything about your new home here, don't you?"

"Bark!" Inuyasha said, as he let his tongue hang out.

Amber giggled and set off, patting her leg in an attempt to request that he follow her.

"I'm happy to show you. Come on!" She said softly, as she held the door open for him.

 _Humans LOVE dogs._ Inuyasha thought to himself, proud that he currently was one. _Especially holy users._

"This is our new weapon." Amber said in a hushed whisper, as she approached, what looked to be, a large generator. "It reverses and amplifies the power of an ancient artifact, found by His Immaculacy, himself." She cooed, as she allowed Inuyasha to sniff at the machine. "The artifact now has the power to trap demonic blood within its glass and therefore, it has the ability to purify The Corrupted and completely seal away The Tainted." She said, happily. "This giant machine works to amplify its power so that it can be used on a large scale." She finished, as she strummed her fingers against the metal, causing a loud echo. "German engineering at its finest." She said, proudly.

 _Alright, weirdo._ Inuyasha mentally grumbled, as he circled the large machine. _This thing can seal away demons and… trap demonic blood?_

As he pondered how such a thing was possible, and the repercussions of the use of such a device, he came upon a small window allowing visibility into the heart of the machine.

Curiosity got the best of him, and he got closer, pressing his eyes up against the glass.

 _What is that?_ He wondered, as he tried to make out the artifact that lay within. It was attached to a slew of wires and circuits. _It seems… familiar in some way._

"That artifact was once called 'The Mirror of Life'." Amber said gently, from behind him.

Inuyasha felt his mouth drop in shock.

"It was used by demons for evil purposes. In story, it could be used to trap the human blood of half breeds and make them full fledged demons. But, we were able to reverse its energy flow. Now it is used by holy users for honorable purposes." Amber said, happily.

 _Like destroying all those with demonic blood!_ Inuyasha screamed in his mind, connecting all the dots.

He immediately backed away from the machine and forced himself to take in the sheer size of it.

 _This thing can probably take out hundreds in one turn._ He thought, worriedly.

"Everything is mechanically sound!" One of the holy users that was in the room inspecting the machine, called out to them.

"That's wonderful. Soon we'll be able to take this baby on a maiden voyage in Norway!" Amber exclaimed, happily. "His Immaculacy will be most pleased!"

 _Kagome is in Norway right now!_ Inuyasha's mind screamed. _Along with her team of gifted humans… and Koga. FUCK!_ His brain growled. _They're all in danger! I have to get out of here!_

Inuyasha began to whine and turn in the direction of the stairwell. Once he got to the top, he yipped, requesting that Amber bring him back inside.

"What's gotten into you?" She called out to him.

 _Damn it, woman! Get me out of here!_ He internally roared. _What to do?_

On a whim, Inuyasha began to squat.

The action immediately drove Amber in his direction.

"Bathroom!" She exclaimed, making the connection on what she thought the dog was asking of her. "Hold it! I'll take you outside!" She begged, as she flew up the steps and over to him.

 _Thank God! It fucking worked!_


	29. Chapter 29

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 29

Sesshomaru stared at his ceiling worriedly as Trinity frantically whispered to him on the other end of his phone.

His brother had managed to make the most monumental of findings, and he managed to do so in less than twenty four hours.

However, the current situation truly couldn't have been worse.

If what his brother had discovered was, in fact, real. It would then surely result in the deaths of countless gifted humans and full blooded demons alike.

What was even more terrifying, was the knowledge that he could no longer simply raid the Synagogue as he initially would have sans the machine. Any agent; demon or gifted human alike, that he sent into that place, could be killed within an instant if The Order decided to activate their new toy.

They would most likely be happy for a situation to actually present itself in which to do so.

"The woman in charge here is named Amber, and she told Inuyasha that they were going to test the machine in Norway soon." Trinity whispered. "Isn't that were Reconnaissance Alpha Team is?"

Sesshomaru scowled and rubbed his temples.

 _By no means did the recent demonic attacks on the Norwegian humans fly under The Order's radar._ Sesshomaru realized, angrily to himself.

He had just submitted the disclosure of the 'long lost civilization of gifted beings' to the Norwegian government, along with a summary of their terms. If The Order launched an attack on the Norwegian wolf demons right now, they might also manage to kill a slew of gifted Norwegian humans in the process. The attack would be seen as a direct result of Lucian's earlier attacks on the farmers, and the wolf demons would be blamed for the entire debacle, which would absolutely destroy any hopes for peace within the country.

If it came down to this, Norway's government would most likely tear Lucian's terms to shreds and immediately hunt him, and his people, down.

It would be an absolute mess of epic proportions.

"Is there a way with which to provide our organization with a visual of what we are dealing with there?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"How? I can't place a camera on Inuyasha. They _will_ find it. They're really into that dog here and everyone pets him often. _Especially_ , Amber. There's nowhere that I can put a device on him that won't go unnoticed." Trinity said, hurriedly. "And I can't place a camera on myself. Even if I did, there's no way in hell I'd be able to sneak down to the Synagogue's foundation and passed all of the locked doors, without a camera or a guard seeing me."

"Put Inuyasha on the phone." Sesshomaru demanded, as he heard Trinity obediently shuffle to get him in the background.

"What?" Inuyasha whispered flatly, as he came onto the line.

"Describe the device as best you can." Sesshomaru ordered.

Inuyasha sighed.

"It looks like one of those big, round things that hangs down from the wing of an airplane." He whispered. "At the bottom of it, there is a glass that lets people look inside, most likely to monitor the Mirror of Life and all of the things that it's connected to."

"Can you describe the connections?"

"They're shiny and the wires are black."

Sesshomaru slammed his fist into his desk in frustration.

"Try to be detailed, brother. As detailed as possible!"

"I _am_ being detailed! I don't know what all those things are called. All I know is that they connect to the mirror. There are computers in another room that monitor the machine in some way." Inuyasha growled out lowly, becoming frustrated by his own inability to describe all of the 'futuristic' things that he saw.

"What powers that thing?" Sesshomaru rumbled, as he tried his best to remain calm.

When Inuyasha did not respond, he tried a different approach.

"Was there a single, big and thick cord connecting the machine to something for an energy source, Inuyasha? It would have connected somewhere into the floor or the wall."

"I don't remember." Inuyasha admitted. "I'll have to go back and check."

"If it runs on electricity, and I pray that it does, we will have the opportunity to shut down the incoming power to the Synagogue so that we can simultaneously time a raid."

Inuyasha remained silent on the other end of the line.

 _He is worried._ Sesshomaru realized.

"Inuyasha, are you able to draw some of the things that you saw?" Sesshomaru whispered, as he began to write off a message to Gateway, the head of his Technology department.

"Draw? With what? My paws?" Inuyasha spat.

"Try." Sesshomaru demanded. "Do it quickly and send me the pictures. Have Trinity help you. After you send me the drawings, destroy the originals."

Inuyasha sighed and Trinity once again took over the line. When he did so, Sesshomaru repeated his instructions and quickly ended the call.

About twenty minutes passed before Sesshomaru received Trinity's best attempt to draw Inuyasha's mechanical descriptions.

It looked as though a child drew them and Sesshomaru sucked his teeth in frustration as he electronically passed them over to Gateway.

 _"Do you have any insight on such engineering?"_ He typed, quickly.

 _"I'm looking at these now and pulling in several of my best. We will get back to you with our thoughts."_ Gateway immediately replied.

* * *

Yuu, codename, Inuyasha, stared at the cartoonish drawings from his computer as he sipped a strong brew of coffee in the early hours of his day. His department head, Gateway, had called him late in the evening and he was most excited to be given his first project of utmost importance for the benefit of his secret organization.

"It looks like a kid drew these." He grumbled under his breath, as he tried to make sense of them.

From what he was informed, there was a recent discovery of a new type of weapon hidden within Germany. This weapon had the power to kill gifted humans. However, R.O.O.T had no idea of the mechanics or technology employed to design such a weapon of mass destruction… or how to deactivate one.

 _That's where I come in._ Agent Inuyasha happily thought to himself, excited to put his electrical and mechanical engineering skills to the test.

Although, he wished he had more to go on than these idiotic drawings.

 _"From first glance, it appears as though this is some form of self sustaining electrical machinery based upon the dynamics of the outer structure."_ Yuu typed. _"However, there is no way to tell for sure, based upon these drawings."_ He sighed _. "The circuits that were drawn appear to be most straightforward, so I assume that regulation is coming from an automated source by means of an embedded system."_ He continued to type. _"The ampacity and reach of the system would be dependent on the bipolar inputs, junction transistors, alternator and interface. I desperately require more information."_ He finished.

A few moments after he sent the message to his superior, his phone rang.

 _The General?!_ His mind hissed, as he scrambled to pick up the phone.

"Agent Inuyasha, Sir." He said into the receiver, excitedly.

"You were quickly able to make a numerous amount of assumptions based upon those absurd drawings. How is that possible?" Sesshomaru rumbled, with the smallest hint of pride in his voice.

"Uh. Yes, Sir. However, it is just as you said, a numerous amount of assumptions. I need to see the machine in order to formulate real conclusions and design a way with which to disarm it." He admitted.

"In your email, you assumed that this machine was somehow self sustaining." Sesshomaru said, quickly. "What does that mean?"

"It means that it can power itself, Sir. Once it is initially charged, the rotation of the components within would allow it to continue to produce energy with which to feed itself." Yuu clarified. "It is an environmentally friendly system."

He became worried when Sesshomaru stayed quiet on the other end of the line. He was about to ask if he was still there when the General suddenly spoke, his abrupt low voice instantly startling him.

"That is most problematic. It seems as though The Order will once again force my hand." Sesshomaru rumbled. "How soon can you pack your things and be on the base's runway?" He hurriedly asked.

"Fifteen minutes." Yuu replied.

"Prepare for a few days stay. I am sending you to Germany along with one of the psychics from the Interrogation department. A mission brief will be waiting for you on the plane." He promised. "I wish you luck on your first mission, agent Inuyasha."

"Yes, Sir." Yuu said quickly, as he felt a wave of adrenaline wash over him the moment Sesshomaru abruptly disconnect the line.

 _What the hell am I supposed to do with a psychic?_ He wondered to himself, as he ran around his apartment and began to assemble his things.

* * *

Kagome watched on as Koga's arm was tended to by a small flock of wolf demon healers near the mouth of the cave that led back to the dining hall.

Koga stared in shock at his wound as he watched it slowly begin to heal before his very eyes.

 _"It has already begun to heal."_ One of the healers informed Koga, as she finished applying a strange salve over his injury before wrapping the site over with cloth. _"You are one with high ranking Celestial power."_ She whispered to him, as she finished her work.

"She says I'm fine." Koga said casually, purposefully making light of his wound in his overly short translation, as he looked up into his mate's worried face.

Kagome's brows furrowed at the comment, as she studied him.

"I promise I'll be good as new in a few days." Koga swore. "I heal faster now than I ever did before." He admitted, taking pride in the outstanding growth of his demonic power over the past month. "I've earned this power, baby." He growled, as he held out his bandaged arm. "I've fought for it."

"Let's return to our room." Kagome requested, shaking off his prideful words. "You should lie down and rest."

"I don't want to." Koga said quickly, as his eyes shifted to watch the large amount of wolf demons that were enjoying themselves around him. "I feel fine."

"You're kidding?" Kagome said angrily, as she took a hold of his uninjured arm and tried to steer him back into the mountain.

"I'm _not_ kidding." He said, now becoming slightly agitated as he felt the effects of Kagome's earlier spiritual hold on him finally begin to fade. "We're going to stand right here, baby, and you're going to tell me something while we do." He grumbled, as he studied her.

Kagome's head tilted to the side as she watched her mate's quickly changing expression.

"Like what?"

"You're going to tell me all about those dreams now." He said, on a harsh whisper.

"I already did. I told you everything that Lucian and I talked about before he came out here and challenged you. I told you about his premonitions about The Order and my agreement to help him fight against them in my dreams."

Koga narrowed his eyes and he leaned over Kagome, lowering his mouth down to her ear.

"When Lucian challenged me, do you want to know what he said, Kagome?" Koga lowly growled.

Kagome gulped.

"He told me that he was going to breed you in the way that you so often dream about."

Koga did not miss the flush that erupted across Kagome's cheek from his position next to her ear.

Before his mate could once again tap into his soul and forcibly try to calm him down, which he instinctually knew she was about to do, Koga reached forward and grabbed her arm, startling her.

"Don't." He warned. "Don't you dare use _that_ as a way to get around this, Kagome. I am entitled to my anger, and no, I'm not going to go off and kill everyone because of it. You owe me an honest explanation about those 'sexual' dreams without numbing me out to do it." He hissed.

Kagome immediately sighed in defeat.

 _He's right._

"Can we at least talk about them somewhere else? Somewhere private?"

"No. I want you to tell me _right now_." He demanded. "Do you fantasize about him?" He growled. "Did you lie to me when you told me that the only man you ever think about is me?" He spat, in a low whisper.

"I promise you, I haven't fantasized about being intimate with _him_ since I found you again." She said, struggling for the right words.

"The night we had dinner at Annika's house was the only opportunity for her to tell you about Lucian and show you his picture." Koga said angrily, as his mind pieced together a string of fragmented memories at a furious pace. "Interestingly enough, if I remember correctly, you appeared to be sexually out of control that night." Koga continued. "Jumping into a freezing cold pool just to 'cool down' and practically assaulting me the moment that we got to our vacation house. You also tempted me with the promise of 'putting a child inside of you', and a bunch of other shit." Koga finished, his eyes beginning to bleed red as he did.

"Koga…"

"You want him." Koga growled, as his eyes flicked over to Lucian's hulking form.

The werewolf king was currently standing on the edge of the mountain's many cliffs and he appeared to be staring upwards at the stars.

"No female would be able to resist such a powerful alpha male." Koga continued, as he noted that the eyes of every female in the crowd would raise every so often just to ogle him, including the eyes of his taken female teammates."

"Does it smell like I want him?" Kagome said, quickly. "You'd very easily be able to tell if he turned me on. In an instant, really. Have you picked up on the scent of my desire when I am near that man?"

Koga frowned at her as he thought upon this.

"You haven't. Not once." Kagome said, knowingly. "Because I _do not_ want him, Koga."

"Then what the hell happens in those dreams of yours? What the hell is he able to see in them? Why is he able to connect to you?"

"He connects to me, because apparently, I have been inviting him to, without ever knowing that I've been doing it."

"What?"

"I dream about him, but he's not with _ME_ sexually, Koga." She stressed, feeling her face heat. "Focusing on him and calling out to him in my dreams is what probably invited him into my subconscious. He is a clairvoyant and I'm certain he has other psychic abilities as well. It's like an Ellie Date situation all over again."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Kagome?!" Koga demanded, beginning to lose his patience.

"I dream about him having sex… with _you_!" She roared, hating how thick headed Koga could sometimes be. "And it's fucking amazing!" She added, as she stared at Koga defiantly.

Koga's mouth dropped, and for the first time in a very long time, he found himself to be without words.

"WHAT?!" Koga yelled, the moment he could once again speak.

"That's right! I dream of two of you going at it and I get to watch!" She hissed.

As the argument escalated, it began to catch the attention of the festive wolf demons that were in their immediate proximity.

It also seemed to gain Lucian's attention as well, and he abandoned his study of the stars to now look down upon them.

"Is everything okay over here?" Frisk called out to them, as he made his way over to the couple in a huff. "You're creating a scene."

"Fuck off!" Koga instantly shouted back at him.

"Not happening. If you two want to argue privately then go somewhere else. Otherwise, it's an open fucking invitation." He continued, in his calmest voice while he gently pointed up in Lucian's direction. "You're gathering a lot of attention." He warned.

Koga and Kagome followed the direction of Frisk's pointed finger and Koga angrily took off into the crowd of dancing demons, leaving Frisk with Kagome alone.

"Is everything okay?" He whispered, as he watched Koga go.

"It will be, he just needs time to calm down… as usual… for every fucking thing." She grumbled. "I swear, I wish I knew why _this_ relationship in particular has to be so overly complicated all of the time. I've never had problems like these. Ever!" She said, in a frustrated voice. "We are _supposed_ to be together, we both _want_ to be together, but sometimes, it just seems so hard to do simply that!" She continued.

"I would ask you what was wrong, but I'm not sure I want to know."

"It's about Lucian, Frisk." She mumbled. "Because I had a few stupid dreams about Lucian recently, he feels like I've somehow betrayed him… as usual."

"You two really do fight about the stupidest things." Frisk admitted, as he rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes, I really do secretly wish that we were more like you and Inspect or Anatomy and Terrain in the way that we handle our insecurities with one another." She admitted. "He tells me that he wants me to share everything with him, but his possessive nature makes that so fucking difficult! I tell him that he makes it hard for me to talk to him, and he promises me that he'll try to be more accepting, but here we are." She continued. "It's not fair."

"You're the same way as he is and you really do sound pretty immature right now." Frisk said, casually.

Kagome scowled at him.

"Toughen up, Toots."

"What?! That's all you have to offer in terms of advice?!" Kagome said, angrily. "You're supposed to be _my_ friend! Whenever you come to me for advice or help, I'm always there for you!"

"I AM always here for you, Rai. Always." He countered.

"Forget that I said anything to you at all." Kagome mumbled, as she turned to reenter the mountain alone.

She was stopped by Frisk's heavy gloved hand coming down upon her shoulder.

"Stop it. Would you be okay with Fang telling you that he has sexual dreams about Cathwulf and then we just so happened to meet her while we were here?" He asked, referencing one of the female characters from the Aethelwulf series.

"No."

"Alright then. Stop whining."

"But I wasn't having sexual dreams about _me_ and Lucian. I was having sexual dreams about _HIM_ and Lucian." She pushed.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"What the hell happened to the innocent and blushing girl that I once used to date?" He said, as he stared at her in wonder.

" _You_ did!" She screamed. "You and all of your perverted homework and role play and leashes and crazy ideas…"

"Don't you dare accuse _me_ of making you this way!" He shouted in return. "I may have led you to the water, but I didn't push you into the God damn ocean, Rai. You jumped in all by yourself. I never once had to convince you of anything, ever, and truth be told, all of the stuff that we did together was the direct result of one of your looney ideas, not mine!"

" _What?_ Are you insane? That was all you!"

"No, _you_ are insane. Do you have any idea how hard it was trying to keep up with you, Rai? I find myself to be a confident man, but you, you were something else. As soon as you got comfortable with yourself it was like a fucking dam burst. You turned into quite the little vixen! Nothing I ever did was good enough for you!"

 _He's confusing his memories of me with his memories of someone else._ Kagome realized, as she prayed for patience.

"Frisk, focus on me for a second. Think really hard about what you just said and then explain to me what the fuck you are talking about!" Kagome spat, feeling completely confused and horrified at the same time.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Koga hissed from behind Frisk's back. "What the fuck _are_ you talking about?!"

"We're talking about Rai's insatiable…" Frisk started, without any hesitation.

"Frisk! Why don't you come back later?" Kagome forcefully interrupted.

"Gladly!" Frisk retorted, as he angrily stomped off in the direction of the music.

"What the hell were you two talking about?" Koga demanded.

"We were taking about me being a hypocrite and a terrible partner who is apparently impossible to please." She grumbled, as she worked furiously to massage at her throbbing temples.

Koga said nothing, he instead angrily stared at her while waiting for her to elaborate.

"You probably eavesdropped on the entire conversation anyway, so what's the sense in making me repeat it?!" She shouted, as she began to turn away from him and angrily attempted to go back to her room.

She was honestly surprised when Koga didn't immediately come after her.

It actually hurt a little bit that he didn't.

 _Stupid Frisk! You and Koga should run off marry each other since you both love each other so fucking much._ She thought, vehemently to herself. _Frisk always has Koga's back over mine. Always._ She mentally grumbled. _He's supposed to be MY friend._

She wanted to be mad at him and she wanted to be mad at Koga, but she felt utterly tired and defeated with the evening's events as a whole.

 _They're both probably right. Something's wrong with me._ She thought sadly to herself, trying not to let Frisk's angry words echo in her head. _Is it really that hard to be with me?_ She wondered to herself. _Do I want too much?_ She worried. _Do I push Koga too hard?_

She loudly sucked her teeth.

 _I never forced him to do anything. I always tried to be clear that we never had to do anything that he didn't want to do. It never would have changed my interest in him._ She thought to herself. _But,_ _maybe he did things that he really didn't want to do because he was afraid that he wouldn't somehow be able to please me._ She concluded, dejectedly.

"I really am an asshole." She grumbled to herself, as she looked around at the unfamiliar path she was on. "An asshole, that has no idea where she is going." She said, on a sigh.

With the admission she heard a loud chuckle echoing over her from the background.

"I find I must agree with that statement."

 _Great. King asshole is at my service. How wonderful. Could this night get any worse?_

"Your quarters should be off in that direction." He rumbled, as he pointed down a twisting path.

"Thanks." She mumbled, dismissively.

"You and your mate are now fighting? I would think you would be most united at this time."

"Why would that be? Because you started a giant brawl outside and didn't kill him… or me… while you were at it?" Kagome spat. "Let's be united, my love! Don't worry about this giant monster slashing your arm, strangling your mate, or telling you that he plans on forcing himself on your mate after you die! Ignore all of that!" She said, sarcastically. "Let's just be 'united' right now!"

Lucian scowled at her and she scowled right back, surprising him.

"Your mate will recover from such meager taunting."

"Would you, if you were in his position? No, you wouldn't. You'd be too busy killing everyone in response." Kagome spat. "No wonder Annika is so head over heels over her new mate. Her mate has the sweetest and most romantic heart. He was probably was the most welcomed and refreshing change…"

Kagome's purification energy immediately exploded around her in protection as Lucian instantly appeared in her face, snarling at her.

"See. It's a little different when it's you, isn't it? But don't you worry Lucian, I am sure you'll recover from such meager taunting, especially if it is coming from a tiny human such as myself."

"Watch your words, woman." Lucian growled lowly in warning.

Kagome paid him no mind, she instead turned on her heel towards the pathway he previously indicated and tried to keep up a purposeful stride.

She grew agitated when she felt Lucian follow her.

"I don't need an escort! But, thanks!" She called out over her shoulder, as she entered into a darkened cavern. She instantly turned up her purification energy for a light source in response and noticed, what seemed to be, dozens of reflective eyes staring at her.

 _Wolves._ Kagome realized, immediately halting in her stride. _A hell of a lot of them._ She thought, as a nervous tingle shot down her spine.

She tried to ignore the conceited snickering that erupted from behind her.

"I shall leave you then, tiny human. Good luck in your search."

"Wait." Kagome whispered to him, quashing her purification powers and throwing her shield up over herself. "Please don't leave me alone here." She squeaked.

Lucian said nothing for several minutes and Kagome felt her adrenaline begin to spike.

"You are… afraid of wolves?" Lucian asked in wonder, as he suddenly appeared at her side.

His immediate appearance next to her caused her to jump.

"WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP DOING THAT?!" She roared.

"You are mated to a werewolf, yet you fear the very creature that he commands?" Lucian asked curiously, ignoring her angry response to his sudden movements.

"Shut. Up."

Lucian exploded into a loud roar of laughter at the realization.

"I hate you." She whispered, as she slowly began to walk through the cavern, her body instinctually flanking Lucian's for protection. "You really are terrible to me."

"I am here helping you after you disrespected me. You are most lucky to be alive right now."

"You started it."

"I did not."

"You really did with that whole uproar that you caused outside."

Lucian sucked his teeth.

 _This woman is not going to let that go._ He realized.

"You remind me of Annika." He grumbled, attempting to change the subject, as he led her passed his pack's many wolves. "She hated me once too and she had no hesitation in telling me, and everyone else, often."

"You could have been kinder to her."

"I am not kind."

"That was your problem. Knowing Annika, all you really had to do was pick her flowers or do something romantic for her. Instead you chose violence with which to win her."

"Violence is the only thing I know, tiny human."

"I can see that." Kagome whispered, earning herself another chuckle from the werewolf king. "But even the mighty Lucian could have picked his mate flowers just to see her smile."

"Is that how your mate won you over?" He asked, on a huff. "By collecting insignificant flowers?" He asked, sarcastically.

"It was a start." Kagome whispered, as she carefully walked passed the sleeping forms of numerous wolves that littered the ground, careful not to step on any of them. "He was always kind to me as well. When he wasn't being a complete ass, that is."

* * *

Koga slowly tracked Frisk through the sea of dancing wolf demons, watching as Alpha Team's second in command slowly regrouped with the remainder of his team who were all dancing in a small circle off to one side of the festivities.

His instincts were actually begging him to go after Kagome, but first, he wanted to know what the hell she and Frisk had just spoken about.

He had only managed to hear the tail end of the conversation, and what he heard, he certainly didn't like.

At all.

"Frisk!" Koga shouted, as he caught up to the man.

"Oh God. Not you, too. Why can't you guys just leave me the hell alone? I'm not a fucking therapist."

"I'm not looking for your advice, jackass. I want to know what you and Rai were just speaking about back there."

"Ask. Her." He spat, becoming fed up. "Leave me out of your problems."

"What did you say to her? She's going to tell me eventually, so why can't you?"

"Because I'm not your mate. _She is_. Stop using me as a scapegoat right now. You're angry and you two are fighting. So, go finish your fight with her, and stop trying to start an argument with me!" He grumbled.

"That leash was yours, wasn't it?" Koga hissed, ignoring his demands.

"Go talk to Wraith, Fang. Leave me alone."

"Answer me!"

"Hey Fang, guess what?" Frisk said, with mock cheer. "Did you notice that someone very important is missing from this party?" He said, as he smiled.

Koga scowled at him. "Stop changing the subject and answer me."

"Lucian is missing. I wonder where he went?" Frisk said, on a sigh.

Koga's head tilted to the side for only a moment, before he took off towards the entrance of the mountain.

"That should keep him busy until he calms down." Frisk grumbled to himself.

"Excellent thinking." Terrain said, as she took him by the hand and began to dance with him, while her brother danced along with Mystic.

"It's sad how accustomed we've become to Fang and Wraith's bullshit over the past year." Trace shouted, as he gave Frisk a thumbs up.

"This is them. They'll work it out. They always do." Mystic said, knowingly. "They're both insecure, they just so happen to handle themselves very differently. Fang explodes and Wraith implodes. They'll figure it out and become much stronger in the process."

* * *

"Not to be gross. But how much of my, um, _private dreams_ did you get to witness before we began our talks about the war?" Kagome questioned, as Lucian delivered her to her room.

"Private dreams?"

"Yes, my private… fantasies. You know, the sexual ones."

"Sexual?" Lucian repeated, becoming confused.

"What you said to Koga…." Kagome trailed off. "…about taking me the in the way that I dream about." She supplied, when the man didn't say anything.

"Is _that_ what you would dream about when you would call out to me?" Lucian questioned, his eyes widening.

"Huh? You recognized Koga when we first arrived here. You had to have seen him in my dreams, how else would you know who he was? If you didn't see any of my private dreams, why would you have said what you did to him outside?"

"I said that to spur him on and for no other deeper reason." Lucian said, quickly. "In our shared dreams, that alpha would usually sit alongside you as we spoke with one another." Lucian said with haste, trying to understand the sudden turn of their current conversation.

Kagome immediately became horrified as she turned this information over in her mind.

"Forget everything I just said!" She demanded. "I misunderstood something. Please, just forget this entire conversation!" She rambled quickly, as she turned to enter her room. "Thank you so much for bringing me back here! I really do appreciate it!" She sputtered, as she entered the room and gently closed her cracked door in Lucian's face.

Lucian quickly came to the conclusion that Kagome was the strangest woman that he had ever encountered in his very long life. She was powerful, headstrong and defiant, yet she was also small, vulnerable and malleable all at the same time. She truly was quite the enigma and he found her to be utterly fascinating.

 _She smells wonderful as well._ His mind added, as he felt a slow and hungry heat suddenly wash over him.

When he first found himself alone with her outside, at the time that she had first displayed her powers for him, he finally had the chance to take in her scent without the hindrance of any other scent to somehow corrode it.

Now, much like he did then, he found himself relaxing into its enticing and musky depths.

He became puzzled by his body's reaction to her and he found himself dumbly standing out in the hallway as he thought upon his current state.

"Flowers." He muttered, as he turned and walked away. "Flowers were the start…" He whispered to himself, as his disappeared within his mountain's twisting and darkened hallways.

* * *

Kagome had just completed building a fire when Koga burst into their shared room and nearly startled her half to death.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" She shouted, as she scrambled to get to her feet.

Koga ignored her. Instead he began to furiously sniff at the air in the room before turning around and testing it against the scent in the hallway.

When it seemed that he had come to a certain conclusion about something, he reentered their room and slammed the door behind him.

"Have you calmed down yet?" She mumbled, as she studied her mate's red eyes. "Are you ready to talk?"

"Why is _his_ scent outside of this room?" Koga demanded, ignoring her.

"Because _he_ walked me here. I got lost." She admitted.

When Koga began to lowly growl in his throat, Kagome swore she was about to lose her shit.

"Did you come here just to start another fight with me, all over again?" She asked, incredulously. "What in the hell do I have to do in this life to prove my devotion to you, Koga? What is it going to take for you to trust me?" She hissed, as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You act like I cheat on you constantly!"

"You might as well be cheating on me in your fucking dreams!" He countered, angrily.

"How? By picturing YOU sleeping with someone else?" She huffed. "How the hell does that constitute me cheating on you? Shit. Even if I did fantasize about someone else, how is it any of your business anyway? My own personal private thoughts are now up for review in this relationship as well? Nothing I do is ever alright with you!" She roared. "My past bothers you, my friendships bother you, my dreams bother you, everything about me… bothers you! Why the fuck are you even with me?!" She said, angrily. "What the hell kind of relationship is this, where I constantly have to defend myself to the one person who is supposed to believe in me more so than anyone else? I swear, this is fucking exhausting, Koga! Is this what the next few centuries of our lives are going to be like? And you want to have kids? How the hell is that going to work if you have zero faith in me as a partner?"

"Shut up! Do you have any idea what it is like to be in my shoes?! Do you ever try to see things from my perspective, Kagome?!"

Kagome bit her lip and quieted, allowing him to continue.

"I don't want you getting turned on by anyone but me. It shouldn't be anyone BUT me, Kagome."

"The only person turning me on in those dreams is _you_. I swear this to you."

"It doesn't matter! Lucian was still in them!" Koga grumbled.

"There you go immediately dismissing my explanation. Nothing matters but what you feel. You shut me down, constantly." She said angrily, as she tried to restrain herself from punching the wall.

"I am _not_ dismissing you!"

"Yes, you are. You don't like what I have to say, so you instantly reject it. That's how you deal."

Koga forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I don't like this, Kagome." He grumbled. "I understand your explanation, but I don't like it. It burns me up inside. Do you know what it feels like to constantly worry that you are going to lose the love of your life to someone else?" He said in a low echo, as if the words burned his tongue to say.

"Why? Why the hell do you feel that way? Please explain this to me." She said, as she rushed over to him. "Why do you feel like I would ever leave your side, Koga? Do you truly not feel my love and devotion deep inside your very soul?" She whispered, as she reached out to cup his cheek.

"I do. I do feel it." Koga grumbled, as he closed his eyes against her touch. "I just don't understand how someone like you… could possibly stick with someone like me. What in the world do I have to offer you, Kagome?" He whispered, as he opened his eyes and held hers. "I'm not adept at any of the kinky crap that you're into. Who even fucking knows at this point if I really am able to give you children." He continued. "Hell, if you're picturing Lucian in your dreams, then obviously you're in need of someone much stronger and much more powerful than I am." He continued, as he studied Kagome's beautiful and saddening face. "Obviously I am not able to truly give you all of the things that you deserve, baby. So why are _you_ even with _me_? You could have anyone you want. Men constantly throw themselves at you. You could do so much better…." He rambled, before a harsh and unexpected smack against his cheek suddenly silenced him.

"Don't you dare put yourself down." Kagome said, in a forced calm and controlled voice. "Don't go there. I understand what it's like to be in that self-created dark place, I really do, and that's why I'm telling you to pull yourself out of it." Kagome said, in a low whisper. "I love you, Koga. You are the only man that I can honestly say, I have ever truly been in love with." She continued. "I do not desire anyone else. No one, past, present or future, is going to pop up, capture my heart, and manage to somehow steal me away from you. You have nothing to worry about in the bedroom. You more than satisfy my needs. Even if we never were to try anything differently for the remainder of our days together, I would be happy." She swore. "I _am_ going to spend the rest of my life with you." She pressed. "We will have a family one day and we will raise our children together. I will give you the world each and every day of our lives, I promise you this. But, the only one that can stand in the way of all of that… is you." She said, softly.

Koga instantly wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head into the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, as he leaned against her. "I don't know why I get like this."

"I understand." Kagome said, quickly. "Believe me, I truly understand. Your feelings just now…" She started, as she placed a kiss over his heart. "…are the same exact insecurities that I always used to have about myself, in my relationship with you. I would never talk about them and they used to just eat away at me every fucking day. "

"How did you make it stop?" Koga grumbled, as he took a deep pull of her scent.

"I haven't been able to completely make those thoughts stop. But, honestly, Sesshomaru talked some sense into me one day, and it helped a lot." She admitted. "He gave me some of my confidence back."

"I'm sorry I fucking asked." Koga spat. "Sesshomaru swooped in to save the day. Of course he fucking did."

"Koga? Can you please shut the fuck up for two minutes and let me finish speaking?"

Kagome instantly took a deep sigh of relief when he actually did so.

"One day you are going to accept that Sesshomaru really is a friend to me, Koga. That friend told me that, instinctually, you could not take me as a mate unless I was the most alluring and unparalleled choice. He told me to remind myself of how much power I really had in my relationship with you every time that I felt myself becoming insecure." She repeated. "Which used to be all the time, to be honest."

"You're saying that the same could be said for me? That you couldn't have taken me as a mate unless I was the unrivaled, best choice?"

"Exactly." Kagome agreed. "My soul bound itself with yours within a day of my finding you again. It did not hesitate to do so. It was fate, Koga. We talk about this all the time. You know that this wasn't some fluke thing. As far as I know, no other holy user has ever been able to bind themselves spiritually to anyone before, _especially_ not to a demon. Nor has any wolf demon ever been able to bind themselves to a human. We are a very special pairing, one that should never have been possible to start with. Hell, you can even use holy powers, which in theory, is absolutely wrong on so many levels and should be theoretically impossible."

"I can use holy powers?"

"What do you think my shield is comprised of? What do you think that connective spiritual glow is all about? Those are my holy powers, Koga, and you're the one summoning them. Although, you seem to be completely unaware of how you're doing it and when." She admitted.

Koga took a step back from her and studied her for a moment before he took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhhh." He whispered, as she watched him physically relax.

A few minutes passed and Kagome began to grow impatient.

"Is something wrong?"

Koga didn't answer her, instead she watched on as she began to lightly glow within a faint blue light.

As she studied her new state, Koga cracked open an eye and smiled at her.

"You're right. I shouldn't be able to do that." He quipped, as he walked over to her and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"How are you doing this?" Kagome whispered, curiously.

"I'm relaxing and focusing on feel of your soul. Just like you explained to me once." He replied, before trailing off at the fuzzy memory."

Kagome chuckled.

"I still can't extend my teeth." She whispered, as she also recalled the memory that they once shared in a car alongside Trinity.

"Too bad."

"But I do have these." Kagome said smugly, as she raised her fist and four long and sharp claws sprung forward. "These, I believe, actually belong to you." She admitted, as Koga was immediately engulfed within her blue protective shield and he studied her claws closely for the first time without any fear.

"Yours are much better than mine." He chuckled. "Much sharper too."

"These are reflective of your soul, Koga. The part that lives on within me." Kagome said, seriously. "The part that is giving me your time."

Koga's expression became serious as he once again gave her claws the once over.

"Then they will always protect you." He swore, as he traced the edge of her talons with his shielded fingertip.


	30. Chapter 30

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 30

Kagome quashed her powers and gently embraced her mate. A few minutes of heavy silence came between them before Koga hesitantly spoke.

"Kagome?"

"Mmmm."

"Are you sure that I satisfy you?" He mumbled, into her hair.

"You do. You always do." Kagome said swiftly, as she raised her head to hold his eyes. "When have I ever given you any indication that you don't?"

"I'm afraid that you get bored, which is why you want to introduce new things all of the time."

"That's not why I want to try new things, baby. I like experiencing you in every way I humanly can." She admitted. "But if it's been giving you the wrong idea, and if that's making you feel compelled to do things that you're not truly comfortable with, then I'll stop." She swore. "I definitely don't want that. Making love should be natural, not forced."

To this, Koga remained oddly silent.

"Are you sure that I satisfy _you_?" Kagome asked quickly, as she thought upon the reason for his lack of response.

"Of course you do."

"You don't miss all the casual sex with different women and crazy orgies?" She mumbled, as she studied his face.

"What the hell are you suggesting?" Koga growled, quickly becoming angry.

"I'm not suggesting anything! I'm asking you a simple question."

Koga sucked his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I will not share you with anyone. Male or female." He spat.

"Um. That's definitely not what I was insinuating! All I'm asking is if you miss that lifestyle, because you certainly don't have any of that with me. You're stuck with the same old me every single day."

"I don't miss anything about my old life. Not for a second. I'd happily trade my past for a clean slate if I could." He admitted. "Because I know how much it bothers you, and, truth be told, it actually really bothers me now as well."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I want you to talk to me. I want you to ask me things. I just hate that I can't do anything to change my past. Just like I can't do anything to change yours. It's really shitty."

"What would you change about mine?"

"I'd be your first." He said quickly.

"We're back to that, I see."

"You asked."

"We could pretend." Kagome said, gently. "We could act out a fantasy."

"It wouldn't be real. I want the real thing. I know you feel differently and you like the fact that we both have prior experience, but I would only be yours if I were able to be."

"So why can't we pretend, baby?"

"Because I'm not Frisk and I'm not into playing ridiculous sex games with you!" He angrily shouted.

 _Yup. He was eavesdropping while we were arguing outside._ Kagome thought, completely expecting this.

"How would you do it?" She whispered innocently, ignoring Koga's comment while attempting to somehow distract him.

"Do what?"

"If I were still a virgin when we reunited, Koga, how would you take my virginity from me?" She asked, curiously.

"I wouldn't _take_ anything from you." He grumbled. "It would be offered to me, and I… I would be gentle." He drawled, as his brows furrowed. "I would take my time and I would make it memorable for you." He slowly continued, as he visualized his actions in his head.

"How?" Kagome whispered, as she noticed his bonding scent gently wash over her.

"Why?"

"I'd like to know, so I can keep the memory, even if it isn't real." She admitted.

"I would kiss you…" He grumbled, as he cupped her face with his hands and gazed lovingly into her eyes. "… until your lips were heated and plumped and you were gasping for air, begging me for more." He whispered, as he tenderly glided his lips over hers. "I'd slowly peel all of your clothes away, and run my hands over every inch of your body, worshipping it." He rumbled, as he dropped his hands from her face and slowly untied her furs, allowing them to drop to his feet, while unabashedly studying her naked form and running his tongue over his slowly elongating fangs.

"Show me." Kagome whispered, as her eyes twinkled and the scent of her desire began to trickle its way over to him.

The next thing she knew, she was being carried bridal style to their bed, and Koga's mouth was on hers.

He gently lowered her down atop the pile of furs that made up their bed and took his place at her left side, bracing his weight on his left elbow while he roamed his right hand slowly over her body, tenderly kissing her all the while.

He was painfully slow with her, and for the sake of the experience, Kagome fought her usual desire to speed things along.

 _Let him set the pace. Let him have this._ Her mind whispered, as his fingertips traced over the hardening nipple of her right breast and she struggled for air against his tongue's masterful manipulation of her mouth.

As if sensing her need to breathe, he gently pulled away from her and ran his hand slowly down her belly as he began to coast his tongue over the shell of her ear and sweep it down the expanse of her neck.

Kagome wanted to tear his furs off of him and run her hands over his smooth and heated skin, but she forced herself to stay still. It was almost painful to do so as she gasped for air and squirmed in pleasure at the feel of Koga's mouth on her neck and his hand on her body.

She was thankful for the patience as after, what felt like an eternity, Koga rose over her and sat back on his knees, in between her legs. He held her eyes with his for only a moment as he removed his clothing, hungrily watching as her gaze dropped down to size up his lean and toned body. She looked upon him with obvious appreciation, slowly drinking in the sight of his body, along with the hardened girth that rested stiffly against his lower stomach.

Koga smoothly reached over her and cupped her neck in his hands, slowly sweeping them down and over her collar bone, her breasts and her stomach, before stopping at her hips.

Kagome arched into his touch and bit her lower lip in desperate anticipation.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered in a low, demonic echo as his red eyes followed over the invisible trail of his hands.

He leaned over her only for a moment to take her lips in a soft kiss, before withdrawing from her to instead lick and kiss his way down and over her body. He paid devoted reverence to it as if she were delicate and fragile, and most precious to him. Never once did he speed up his mouth's praise of her soft porcelain skin and he took his time to taste her and coast his heated breath over her, causing her to involuntarily buck up at him and lowly moan in her throat.

When he made his way down to her hips, he held her eyes as he dipped his head down and placed a gentle, almost ghost like, kiss against her clit.

"Please…" Kagome whispered, struggling to control herself.

She was soaking wet and hot… so incredibly hot that she felt as though she were on fire. She could barely think straight and the control that she had been holding herself under was starting to fall apart.

Koga said nothing, he instead began to gently suck against her throbbing bud, tracing the tip of it with his tongue while he did so. After several slow pulls at her, he released her from his lips, and dragged his tongue down towards her heated depths, ever so slightly entering her.

Kagome immediately bucked up against him, and groaned out his name, trying to fight the urge to grab onto his face as she did so.

"Please…" She repeated. "Take me. Please, Koga." She begged, in a small whimper.

He responded by trailing several soft kisses over the slick lips of her sex, before he unabashedly began drinking at her entrance. With each gentle suck, he pulled at the tightened muscles that lay within her, coaxing them to pulse for him.

It was driving her mad.

"Please, baby. I need you right now." She huffed, in a desperate whisper, feeling as Koga further spread her legs, completely opening her, before once again leaning over her.

All Kagome knew was that his mouth was once again on hers, his lips were hot and slick with the taste of her own passion, and he was gently pushing the head of his manhood against her entrance with the utmost care.

As she moaned into him, he regretfully broke away from her mouth, cupping her face in his hands as he balanced his weight on his elbows over her.

"I won't hurt you." He promised, as his eyes held hers with utmost sincerity.

 _Huh?_ Her mind thought, as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Relax into me." He continued.

Kagome studied him in wonder. He was covered with sweat and his body was impossibly tight, she could feel his tenseness with every slight movement that he made from his position over her. His brow was furrowed with the utmost concentration, and he was looking at her as if he were horrified at the thought of somehow breaking her.

 _His body is here, but his mind is somewhere else_. She realized. _He's lost within a fantasy._

Kagome slowly nodded at him, granting him the permission he was silently seeking, and he once again took her mouth with his.

He kissed her with such love and tenderness that she felt she would break. As she lost herself in the emotion of it all, and the musky scent of cut wood and fresh earth began to slowly wash over her, he began to gently rock his hips against hers, ever so slowly nudging the head of his throbbing erection inside of her.

She immediately began to clamp down on him, furthering the shared experience.

When her breath cracked from the pleasure, he immediately stilled, panting, while he worriedly studied her.

"You feel so good." She groaned, as her voice cracked. "Please, don't stop."

God, she wanted to move. She wanted to pump against him wildly, fill herself with the pulsing length of him and lose her mind in all that she knew it would offer.

But she didn't.

She instead fisted the furs underneath her and focused everything she had on staying in place, allowing her mate to slowly stretch her and drive her mad as he did so.

"I love you so much, baby." Koga growled in a low timbre, as he leaned his forehead against hers and studied her flushed face while he gently pushed himself further inside of her.

Kagome rewarded him with a low groan.

"I love you, too." She whispered, as she struggled to catch her breath. "I always will." She promised, as she held his hooded eyes.

"Relax." He whispered. "I swear, I won't hurt you." He soothed, as he held his position inside of her.

"Baby, if I relax, I'm going to cum." She admitted, as her fists tightened in their hold of the furs beneath her.

"So, cum." He said simply, as he lifted his head and gently kissed her forehead.

Kagome instantly allowed herself to relax and as soon as she did so, her hips began to slowly roll, seeking the contact of his.

"That's right baby…." Koga grunted. "…open for me." He cooed, as he dropped his head down into her neck and began to take heavy draws of her scent, his hips working to withdraw ever so slightly from her, before once again, pushing himself further inside of her. "You're so close." He rumbled, as he traced his fangs slowly down her neck, causing her to shudder beneath him.

Time seemed to come to a halt as Kagome finally felt Koga fill her, his pelvis weighing down heavily upon on hers and dominantly pinning her beneath him.

At the contact, Kagome released her hold on the bed's many furs and wrapped her arms around him, smoothing her hands down the tightened muscles of his back, only stopping to cup his ass and pull him further to her. It was the invitation Koga had been waiting for, giving him the permission he sought to finally move, and he began to slowly pump inside of her, gritting his teeth as he did so.

The tight coil that had twisted itself within Kagome's belly didn't need much more than this to finally come undone. Her hands clawed at his back and her legs wrapped around him as she finally lost herself. The orgasm was so intense that she swore she saw stars when her vision momentarily faded and her spiritual connection tightly wrapped around her and her mate, throbbing in time with their heartbeats and catapulting Kagome high in the sky to a most welcomed and private place.

When Kagome's inner muscles trapped Koga within a vice, and her spiritual powers engulfed him, Koga happily surrendered himself and came hard, bucking inside of her and filling her over and over again.

Just when he believed he had nothing more to offer, Kagome shuddered against him and he came yet again, loudly groaning her name as he collapsed on top of her while desperately struggling to catch his breath.

They stayed in this way, limbs wrapped over limbs, and heartbeats throbbing lovingly in tune with one another, for quite some time. Neither making any move to disrupt the connection of the intimacy they had just shared with one another.

When Koga finally came to, he was vaguely aware that Kagome was gently stroking his hair, twisting her fingers through the long length of it as she did so.

"Thank you." She whispered sweetly, as she placed a kiss onto his shoulder. "That was beautiful."

Koga said nothing, he instead swept his arm out and pulled a pile of furs over them, further sinking into her as he did so.

"I wish it were real." He finally whispered, as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

"What we just shared together _was_ real. Don't minimize it." Kagome soothed. "And I will always remember it." She promised, as she gently rubbed his scalp. "Just like I will always remember our first time together, along with everything else that we've experienced with one another." She swore.

When Koga remained quiet, as if lost in thought, Kagome spoke again.

"Ayame truly was lucky to have you as her first." She whispered, attempting to further soothe him.

"Trust me, it didn't go as smoothly."

With this Kagome giggled.

"I don't really remember all the details, but I do remember trying so hard not to hurt her, but I did anyway. She wouldn't help me along either, or tell me how she was feeling. I was flying blind, I really was."

"Awww. I'm sorry." Kagome chuckled. "It's kind of cute in a way. I can't imagine you as anything but the experienced and wonderful lover that you are. The thought of you being shy and nervous is adorable."

"It shouldn't be too hard to imagine. Every time you want to try something new, I'm always nervous as hell." He quickly retorted, as he sucked his teeth in frustration. "Add in the fact that everything you ask for is something that you're already pretty experienced in, and I immediately feel the need to somehow compete with your expectations and all of your past partners. It really fucking sucks." He grumbled.

 _What? Is he being serious? Where is this coming from?_

"I just thought you were a little hesitant." She said, immediately feeling guilty. "I am so sorry, baby. I really had no idea you felt this way."

"Well, now you know."

"I really wish you would have said something. I feel terrible." She whispered. "Were you like that with your other partners as well?"

"I've only ever had straightforward sex, Kagome."

"Except for the threesomes." Kagome quickly retorted, without missing a beat. "Obviously."

"Well… there were sometimes more than three." He said, as if now lost in thought.

Kagome swore she wanted to kick him right in the balls.

 _Back to being an arrogant asshole, I see._ Her mind hissed.

"Right. Because that's pretty straightforward. No sense in being nervous about pleasing multiple partners at the same time. However, taking me anally or pleasuring yourself in front of me, the woman that you're fucking mated to, those are major sexual offenses. That's where you draw the line apparently."

"Damnit, Kagome. Stop."

"No. I will not stop. I try to sympathize with you, I really do, but come on. Stop making yourself out to be such an innocent angel in the bedroom. You've obviously had a lot more than straightforward sex. It hurts to know that you've always been so free with others, but feel so hesitant when you're with me. I just don't understand how your mind works sometimes. I'm supposed to be special, aren't I? Yet, my sexual interest in you and my desire to enjoy you in different ways makes you feel pressured. That's terrible, Koga. It would be one thing if you were conservative in general, but you obviously never have been hesitant with anyone else." She huffed, as she felt her face heat. "Here I am feeling guilty about how I've made you feel, and you're easily telling me about things that I consider to be over the top with other women.

"Screwing a bunch of women that I don't care about at the same time is over the top for you? Yet, bondage, voyeurism and anal sex is not? Why is that, Kagome? Is it because those are all things that _you_ happen to like? This sounds like a simple difference of opinion to me." Koga immediately retorted.

"You're absolutely right." Kagome said, with a forced smile. "So, it shouldn't bother you if we were to invite a bunch of people that we didn't care about into our bedroom then, would it? That should be just fine, since, as you just said, it's not over the top by your standards and we certainly don't have feelings for anyone but each other." She said, with the smallest trace of sarcasm. "I'm actually excited. I'll get to try something new for the very first time, and you can pave the way for me while I do it, baby."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Koga roared. "I will not share you."

"I'd be sharing _you_. I have no problem with resigning myself to watch." She angrily bluffed.

"How cunning, babe. What a wonderful way to manipulate me into playing out one of your sick fantasies. Should I go and get Lucian now, or do you want me to wait until the morning?"

"By all means, go now." She pushed. "This is what you so casually refer to as straightforward sex. It's something you've done with women in your past. So, there should be no reason for any hesitation in doing so with me."

"Fine. While I'm at it, I'll go and check to see if Aslaug would like to participate as well, since the woman has been throwing eyes at me since I've gotten here. Might as well have a fucking party."

"Go right ahead. Knock yourself out."

"You're being a giant bitch right now." Koga growled, as he angrily got off of her and scrambled to get to the edge of the bed to massage away his newfound headache.

"You're the bitch. You're a fucking hypocrite. You'd happily try things with others, but trying things with me, disgusts you."

"I never said that!" Koga roared. "I've never once said that. You're changing my words around! I said that trying things that you're already experienced in is nerve wracking for me. I get nervous that I won't be able to measure up to your expectations. Stop twisting my words around!"

"I'll try to quote you more accurately next time, Mr. 'sometimes more than three'." She growled. "Hey! That just so happens to rhyme with STD! Look at that! What are the odds…"

"Kagome Higurashi, you are a very immature and nasty woman when you want to be." Koga hissed, immediately cutting her off.

"And you're an arrogant pig _without_ even trying to be. I'm always trying to tip toe around your feelings, yet you have no problem stomping all over mine!"

"I wasn't trying to be arrogant!"

"You don't have to try! You naturally are! You never think before you start spewing garbage. I swear, it's like you have chronic constipation of the mind and ceaseless diarrhea of the mouth!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! God forbid I said something like you just did. It would be the end of the world. I always have to be careful of what I say." She huffed. "I mustn't ever hurt Lord Koga's feelings." She said, sarcastically. "We sure wouldn't want that." She continued.

"You and Frisk really were perfect for each other. I get it now. I really do. It's like you both share one demented brain."

 _That's where this is all coming from. He's mad about what he overheard from my talk with Frisk and he's holding it against me. He's punishing me for it!_ Her mind spat.

"So much for the beautiful moment that we just had together. It's completely ruined now." Kagome huffed, ignoring his attempt to insult her, as she flipped over and covered herself with some of their bed's many furs. "Hmmm, I wonder what I'll dream of tonight? I know! It'll probably be about my husband casually screwing a harem of women like the giant hoar he once was. While he's at it, he'll probably taunt me about being a fucking pervert because I want to enjoy him as much as I can, _all by myself_. What a sick deviant I am!" She hissed in mock horror, as she curled up into a little ball. "I only have straightforward sex, Kagome. I never needed to jerk off, Kagome." She said in a low voice, attempting her best imitation of Koga. "Such a lying, conceited pig." She muttered, under her breath, as she closed her eyes and tried to somehow calm herself.

 _This is what I get for trying to fucking talk to him and build him up. This is the reward._ Her mind hissed, as she tried to picture being anywhere but where she currently was at the moment.

She spent several minutes trying to calm down and think of joyful things, but it wasn't working. She knew that the moment the anger dissipated there would be tears, and the last thing she wanted to do, was to give Koga the pleasure of knowing that he was able to upset her so. Just when she was about to storm out of bed, get dressed and go for a walk, Koga spoke to her.

"Kagome, I really don't want to fight." He pleaded. "It kills me when we fight. My heart actually hurts right now, it really does."

She instantly frowned.

"Koga feels sad. Let's stop the world so we can tend to _his_ feelings." She grumbled.

"Look, I'm sorry that I said what I did, alright? I really didn't mean it to be a smug asshole. I didn't think anything of it."

"Well, I'm _not_ sorry for what I said. I meant every word of it. You make me feel like absolute shit, you really do. You have no consideration for the way you make me feel, or how hypocritical you are in this relationship." She hissed, fighting against the tears that began to flood into her eyes, as she quickly pulled the fur blankets over her head.

"I told you earlier that if I could change my past I would, Kagome. If I could start with a completely clean slate with you, I gladly would. I wasn't lying."

Kagome said nothing, she instead tried to regulate her breathing.

"I'm sorry I'm like this. I worry so much about keeping you happy." He admitted. "You are right about me being a hypocrite." He murmured. "I definitely hold you to a much different standard, and for that I'm sorry. I have no right to judge you."

"You should be happy that I want you as much as I do." Kagome huffed, as the tears she was holding back finally fell from her eyes.

Koga stared at the pile of animal furs that encased his angry mate.

"Can you please come out of there and talk to me?" Koga grumbled. "I want to see you, baby. I'm talking to a pile of furs right now."

When Kagome made no effort to move, Koga sucked his teeth and scooted behind her.

"I know you're upset right now. I can smell it." He whispered, as he fished under the blankets and gently stroked her arm. "Please talk to me."

"What would you like me to say?"

"That you'll forgive me. That you love me." He pushed. "Something…"

"Something."

"Kagome…."

"How could you possibly be so free with random women, but feel so hesitant with me?" She whispered. "Do you know how much that hurts to hear?" She whispered.

"Because _you_ actually matter." He admitted, as he pulled the furs over his own head so that he now shared her idiotic hiding place with her.

"I don't feel that way right now. I feel insignificant, guilty, and more so than anything else, I feel ashamed and dirty." She whispered, as she tried not to sniffle.

"Baby, please." Koga sputtered, as he wrapped his arms around her. "Why in the world would you feel ashamed and dirty?"

"Because you make me out to be some kind of pervert for just wanting to be intimate with you!" She huffed, as her tears now freely fell. "Like there's something wrong with me. Yet you... you… your past…"

She couldn't even finish the statement.

"I need to get out of here." She grumbled, as she kicked the bedding off of her, struggling to get up while somehow trying to regain her composure.

Koga wouldn't release her from his arms.

"You don't understand. I _have_ to get out of here." She begged, as she pushed against his firm hold on her.

"Kagome, it's going to be okay. You just need to calm down. Please just try to relax."

 _I need to run!_ Her mind screamed.

"You're feeling vulnerable right now." He whispered softly in her ear. "Just breathe, baby. It's going to be okay. We can fix any problem. I swear it."

"You _are_ the problem!" She hissed.

Koga momentarily stiffened behind her as if burned by the statement.

"Kagome, please. I know this is entirely my fault. I'm so fucking sorry that I made you feel this way. I know that you don't want me to see you cry right now. I know how much you hate showing me this side of you, but I need you to trust me." He pleaded. "Let me comfort you." He said sadly into her hair, from his position behind her. "Please." He whispered, as he began to softly run his hand over her stomach as he desperately attempted to find a way with which to soothe her.

"I don't want to be comforted by you. I want to get away from you." She sputtered, although she made no immediate attempt to move.

"Talk to me, Kagome. I need to fix this." Koga whispered, his voice becoming desperate.

"How? How can you fix this? You can't." She hissed, as she frantically tried to control her breathing. "Did you treat all your women this way? Or do you do it just to me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you treat your other partners like they were somehow damaged and insignificant." She pushed. "Or am I the only special one?"

"I never treated anyone as if they were insignificant. I never pretended to have feelings that I actually didn't, nor did I ever string anyone along, and I certainly didn't put anyone down, either." He promised.

"So, it's just me then. I get the special treatment. How lucky am I?" She darkly chuckled.

"God damnit, Kagome!" Koga said angrily, as he released his hold on her and forcibly turned her over to face him.

As soon as he did, he immediately wished he hadn't.

Kagome's eyes were swollen and red, and her cheeks and nose were an angry pink. Her lower lip was slightly quivering and she looked absolutely fragile and devastated.

Koga immediately diverted his eyes away from hers in guilt.

He felt absolutely sick.

"What's wrong babe? Am I upsetting you again?"

"Kagome…."

"I only care about what _you_ think of me. You know that. Yet, you so easily make me feel insecure and worthless. I'm sorry I _ever_ asked you to do _anything_. I truly am. Unfortunately, I happen to matter to you quite a bit, and therefore, sex with _me_ makes you feel uncomfortable. If I was a random nobody, you'd willingly fuck me in any way that I wanted you to. And for some reason, in your world, that all somehow seems to make perfect sense. You'd easily give yourself to any random woman that you didn't care about, but not wholeheartedly to your mate, because doing so makes you feel pressured. You just can't stop comparing yourself to my past, no matter how much I assure you." She spat. "Yet, you casually flaunt _your_ sexual exploits and the sheer amount of them often, even though I repeatedly ask you not to. Then you have the absolute gall to tell me that sex with ME makes you feel nervous and insecure?" She sputtered in disbelief. "How the fuck do you intend to comfort me about any of this, baby? By holding me and rubbing my back?" She roared.

Koga sadly looked upon her at a complete loss.

"I never meant to..." He started. "Christ, Kagome when you put it like that..."

Kagome scowled at him.

"I never thought about it like that. I swear to you, I never thought..."

"You never think. That's the problem. You never stop to think. What if the shoe were on the other foot? At least I _try_ to put myself in your shoes. You have no consideration to do the same. How do you think your words make me feel, Koga? How would you feel if I told you that trying new things with you made me feel badly and then I followed that statement with a casual description about all the random sex that I had with multiple men at the same time. Obviously, you'd come to the same exact conclusion as I just did."

Koga squeezed his eyes tightly shut and sucked in his breath.

"I'm sorry. I am so very sorry." He whispered with utmost sincerity, as he slowly reopened his eyes and studied her. "I don't have any excuse." He said, remorsefully.

Kagome looked down at her hands in silent defeat.

"What you gave me before was beautiful." She whispered, more so to herself than him. "The ridiculous sex game that you didn't want to play..." She mumbled, sarcastically repeating his earlier words. "...was beautiful for me. But, now I feel guilty for even asking you for that." She admitted, as fresh tears washed over her cheeks. "You told me that you didn't want to pretend and I pushed you to do it anyway. None of what I felt was real, was it? That whole experience was forced just like everything else with me has always been."

Several seconds passed in silence before Koga's strong arms shot out and roughly pulled her against his chest.

" _Nothing_ about that was forced!" He growled. "That's the god damn truth. Nothing we've done together has _ever_ been forced. I may have felt a little uncomfortable and nervous at times with you, but I always pushed passed it because, deep down, I wanted to try to please you and I never regretted any of it, ever." He admitted, as he held her tightly to him. "I know my mind doesn't work right, Kagome. I know that more so than you ever possibly could. Each time that you hint at something that's new to me, the first thing I think about is that _you_ did it with someone else before me. This is why I hesitate. I do this to myself and I hate myself for it because it always spills over in some way and hurts you." He said, in utter frustration. "Please tell me how I can make this right. I'll do anything. I swear it."

"I don't have an answer." She mumbled, as her body slightly trembled in his arms.

Koga resigned himself to holding her, gently rocking her and running his fingers through her hair as she succumbed to the sadness that he had regretfully brought upon her.

He wished there was more that he could offer her, but all he could lend her was his body as his words only seemed to make her feel worse.

When Kagome finally succumbed to exhaustion, Koga stayed awake, dutifully watching her sleep against him.

"I'm sorry I'm always hurting you." He said softly into her hair. "I just want to be your everything and I can't stop fucking up because of it." He whispered to her sleeping form. "Sometimes I really do feel like you'd be better off with somebody else. Anyone, but me." He admitted. "You tell me not to put myself down, but how can't I? I really don't deserve you. I seem to prove that to the both of us all of the time. Yet, I could never willingly let you go." He hummed, as he kissed her forehead. "You handle your insecurities so much better than I could ever hope to handle mine. And you're dealing with centuries of my sexual past, while I only have to deal with ten years of yours… plus one annoying remnant of it that just so happens to be on the same team as us and harasses me every God damn day." He grumbled. "But, to be honest, you really do have the shit end of the stick in this relationship and I know it." He whispered sadly to her, as he watched her eyelids flutter as she fell into a deep sleep. "I really do love you, Kagome. I'm still learning how to be the man you need me to be, and I'm sorry for all the pain and trouble I constantly cause you."

* * *

Koga wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but he was awoken to the sound of a timid knocking at his door.

 _What time is it?_ He thought to himself, as he gently got up, careful not to awaken Kagome in the process.

On his way to the door, he threw his pants on while he grabbed his cell phone and checked the time.

It was 6am.

 _The wolf demons will most likely be having breakfast soon._

Before he opened the door, he checked the air.

It smelled of flowers and of Frisk.

Koga sighed as he rubbed his temples and braced himself for a Frisk induced headache. He quietly swung the door open, before stepping forth and closing it quickly behind him.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Careful." Frisk whispered, as he pointed downwards. "Don't step on the flowers."

"Huh?" Koga mumbled as he followed the movement of Frisk's hand.

Two handfuls of simple white and yellow flowers had been left near his door.

Before he could think on this, Frisk spoke.

"Is Rai, awake?"

"No, she's still sleeping."

"Oh. When she wakes up, can you tell her to swing over to my room? I need to talk to her." He said softly, his expression appeared crestfallen and remorseful.

Koga's eyes narrowed as he studied him.

"You alright?"

"I've been better."

"Did I miss something last night?" He wondered.

"Not really. We all went to bed shortly after you guys left. Aslaug escorted us back." He said casually, before he turned off and returned to his room, nextdoor.

Koga shrugged and returned his gaze to the flowers. He hastily picked them up and sniffed them before returning to his own room.

Upon entering, he noticed that Kagome was sitting up in bed. Her face was still slightly swollen and she looked completely drained.

"Did I wake you?" He asked quickly, as he rushed to her side. "I'm sorry…."

"No, you didn't. The knocking did." She said, quickly. "Who was it?"

"Frisk. He wants you to go over to talk to him when you have a chance."

As Kagome registered this, her gaze fell to the flowers in Koga's hands.

"Are those for me?" She asked, softly.

"I'm guessing they are, but they're not from me." He grumbled, suspiciously.

Kagome slowly leaned over him and smelled them.

"They smell sweet." She said, as she cracked a soft smile.

"Who left these?"

"I'm not sure, but it was a very nice gesture." She admitted, as she began to get dressed into her tactical clothing. "Lord knows I could use one right now."

When she was done, she took the flowers into her arms and exited the room, heading over to Frisk's room.

* * *

"What's up?" She grumbled, as Frisk opened the door for her.

"Jesus, Rai! You look like shit!" Frisk shouted, as he openly gaped at her appearance. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Did you need something?" Kagome growled, as she rubbed her head.

Frisk seemed frozen for a moment before he seemed to remember the purpose for their meeting.

"I wanted to apologize to you." He said, sincerely.

"You're going to have to be way more specific." Kagome said, quickly.

"Were you… crying, Rai?" Frisk asked, suspiciously.

"Nope. Allergies." She retorted. "Try to focus. What did you need?"

Frisk walked over to her and gently wrapped her in a firm hug.

"This is because of last night's argument with Fang, isn't it?" He whispered.

"Focus, Frisk." Kagome warned.

"I never thought you were capable of crying, especially not over a guy." Frisk continued.

"Ok. I'm leaving now. Nice talking to you." Kagome hissed, as she pushed him off of her.

"I'm just trying to be there for you." Frisk admitted, as she pushed him away.

"You could have been there for me last night. But instead, you told me to toughen up. You're a little late to pretend to have my back, Frisk."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that." Frisk said, quickly. "I made a mistake."

"Great. Now what did you fucking do?" Kagome wondered, beginning to lose patience.

"I confused a few things. A few memories." He admitted. "I said some things to you that weren't really about you." He said, sadly. "I'm really fucking sorry about it."

Kagome sighed.

This wasn't the first time that Frisk had gotten 'confused', and it wouldn't be the last time either.

"I figured as much. Don't worry about it." She said, quickly. "It wasn't on purpose."

"Fang, heard us." He continued, as he studied her face.

"Of course he did."

"I didn't know he was listening while we were talking, Rai."

"Neither did I."

"He took it out on you, didn't he?" Frisk rumbled, as he raised his hand and cupped her cheek, while he looked over her face.

"Of course he did." She muttered, as she turned away from his close inspection. "He'll never be happy unless he can somehow build a time machine." She grumbled.

"Huh?"

"He wasn't my one and only, so he's apparently never going to stop comparing himself to my past, nothing I say to try and make him feel comfortable about it helps." She admitted, as she rubbed at her tired eyes. "It mentally fucks with him and it makes him nervous to be with me. He feels like he somehow needs to compete with my past partners and my apparent, over the top, 'kinky' expectations." She grumbled tiredly. "It's a long story."

"Kinky expectations?"

"Yup."

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not."

Frisk studied her for a moment.

"I've decided that I actually want to know."

"For Christ's sakes…"

"What does Fang consider to be kinky?"

"Let's see. I've restrained his hands a few times, I've asked to watch him take care of himself once, and I've requested anal sex once as well. Role playing is apparently okay as long as I'm pretending to be a wolf demon or he's pretending to recreate my first time." She said, sarcastically.

Frisk patiently waited for her to continue. When she did not, he rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

 _Does she have any idea what HE has been up to over the past few centuries? Does she have any idea why he is like this?_ Frisk's mind screamed, as hundreds of Koga's sexual memories flooded into his mind.

"Unbelievable! This is just…" Frisk angrily trailed off, as he suddenly marched passed Kagome and over to her room.

When he approached Kagome's door, he barged right in, spooking Koga from his place near their shared wall and causing him to guiltily scramble away from it in an effort to try to hide his obvious snooping.

"If you're so interested in the conversation then you should have just swung by with her in the first place." Frisk grumbled, as he shot Koga a dirty look.

"Interested in what?" Koga attempted.

"You're not fooling me, idiot. Sit down. We need to talk."

"Huh? About what?"

"You already know what this is about! You've been eavesdropping the whole time!"

"Frisk, you don't need to do this." Kagome said on a sigh, as she quickly reentered her room and placed the flowers down near her bed.

"I _do_ need to do this. I need to make a few things clear to your out of control fiancé. I'm not leaving until I do, so you just should sit down and wait it out." He demanded.

Kagome was beyond the point of arguing and she laid herself down on the bed and closed her eyes in complete defeat.

"Fang, you need to understand a few things." Frisk said angrily, as he focused his full attention onto his scowling friend. "I'm going to explain some shit to you, and you're going to listen." He ordered. "If you have questions, you better ask them and get everything out of the way now."

"This is ridiculo…"

" _You_ are ridiculous! Just shut up and sit down!" Frisk commanded, in his most military quality voice.

Koga sighed and took a seat next to Kagome on the edge of his bed.

"As you know, Wraith and I were once in a romantic relationship. I'm not sure what Rai has told you about it. Knowing your temper, she probably told you as little as possible about it just to spare herself a stupid argument. But, in case you were wondering, Rai and I separated around the same time that I was assigned to Alpha Team. We didn't believe that it was a good idea to work together and continue to have anything more than a professional relationship with each other while being on the same team." Frisk advised.

"I know all of this." Koga said, incredulously.

"I'm not done, moron."

"Can we speed this along?" Kagome groaned.

"While we were dating, your _wonderful_ and _forthcoming_ mate over here, never once told me that she was a virgin." Frisk continued, causing Kagome to immediately bolt upwards into a sitting position on the bed with an absolute expression of horror ghosting over her face. "I found out all on my own during our first time together. The hard way." He grumbled.

"What?!" Koga roared, in absolute disbelief.

"Frisk!" Kagome shouted.

"Quiet, Rai. This is _my_ story. These are _my_ memories, and I'm going to talk about them while I have them clearly laid out in my mind."

"You never told him… that you were a virgin?!" Koga repeated, completely horrified, as his eyes focused angrily on Kagome.

"That horror that you're picturing, from a man's point of view, is exactly how that moment pretty much went down." Frisk said, seriously.

"Wraith? Why?" Koga spat, as Kagome sucked her teeth in frustration.

Frisk cleared his throat, immediately pulling Koga's attention back over to him.

"Rai was the toughest woman I knew. She was the second in command of Alpha Team back then and a total hard ass. But, she was a very sweet and innocent woman off the clock. I never found it odd that she took things as slowly as she did when we were together, because that just seemed to be her nature. She set the pace and I was happy to let her do just that." Frisk recalled. "I _found out_ that I was Rai's first in the worst of ways…" He trailed off, as he threw Kagome an angry look. "It wasn't something that was magical or sweet, nor was it something that was precious or memorable. It was actually pretty shitty." Frisk spat, as he now addressed only Kagome. "Because you never allowed me the chance to make it anything but that. Shity." He grumbled, as he held Kagome's eyes with his own. "And it _definitely_ shouldn't have been something given to me. But I had zero say."

"Frisk…" Kagome started.

"Anyway." Frisk said dismissively, as he turned his attention back on Koga. "Once we finally moved passed the idiotic explanation that I was given for that particular situation, and as soon as Wraith became comfortable with herself and with me, we tried a few things together. We had a lot of fun doing so, too. But that's all it was at the end of the day. It was fun." He said, simply. "We cared about each other, we were friends with each other, we were attracted to each other, but we were never in love with each other." He advised, smoothly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Koga growled.

"Because you need to know what you're really competing with. You're not competing for Rai's love. You won that competition a long time ago. You're the only man who has ever succeeded and the only one that truly deserved it." Frisk admitted. "You are Rai's first real love, Fang. Take pride and comfort in that. The only thing that you _are_ truly competing with in your relationship, is the past. Only, it's not _Rai's_ past that's the problem."

"Huh? Can you speak clearly?" Koga huffed.

"I know that you instinctually need to please Rai." Frisk said, softly. "I know that's a part of what drives you to be so protective over her. But, have you ever wondered why you go so far beyond that? Why do you become such a lunatic over her? Do you ever stop to think why you are so damn insecure, Fang?"

Koga shook his head. "I'm afraid of losing her. I've already lost her twice. I couldn't bear to lose her again in any way." He grumbled, as he stared at the floor.

Frisk chuckled to himself.

"That's beautiful, Fang. You should write fiction." He said, sweetly. "Why don't you cut the bullshit and tell her the truth?"

"What's he talking about?" Kagome whispered suspiciously, as her eyes narrowed and she focused on Koga's face.

"I _am_ telling the truth!" Koga roared. "What the hell are _you_ talking about, Frisk?!"

"Think, Fang. There really is a simple explanation for why you are the way that you are. So much time has passed that I'm not even sure you still remember what it is."

Koga stared at Frisk like he had ten heads.

"I promise you, there is a reason." Frisk pushed. "Rai deserves to know what it is. Maybe you do, too. Who knows?" He muttered.

Koga worriedly scrambled to try to remember what Frisk was alluding to. After several minutes, he pulled at his hair in frustration.

"I can't think of anything." He spat, before turning to Kagome. "I'm not hiding anything from you. I've never lied to you about anything, I swear it. I have no idea what he's talking about!"

"What did Ayame do to you?" Frisk huffed.

"Ayame?" Koga repeated, as he struggled to think. "She left me." He concluded, after several moments of thought.

"Well, yea, but that's not it." Frisk pushed.

"Can't you just tell me? Why do I have to play this stupid game?!"

"It's more fun this way." Frisk said, honestly.

"You, asshole!" Koga growled, as he made to grab Frisk's shirt.

He wanted to strangle him.

However, his hand never had a chance to follow through with the angry contact.

"Ayame cheated on you."

Koga stared at Frisk completely stupefied, his hand frozen in mid air in its reach for Frisk's shirt.

"Is that true?!" Kagome asked, in complete disbelief. "Ayame…?"

"It was a one time indiscretion." Koga said robotically, as the memory came back to him.

"Apparently Ayame had some complaints about Fang's abilities in the bedroom." Frisk whispered to Kagome. "She would never voice them to him directly, instead she would complain to her female friends about him and put him down. Wolf demons love to gossip, and eventually word got around and Fang became a giant joke. Yet, he had no idea because no one would say anything to him." Frisk continued. "I'm not sure of how everything went down, but Ginta accidentally caught Ayame with another guy." Frisk continued. "Of course he immediately told Fang about it and shared what he knew about the rumors that were circulating about him too." Frisk said, on a huff.

"We were never truly mated, so it technically wasn't really cheating." Koga grumbled, as he scowled at Frisk. "I forgave her and it never happened again. We worked through it." He said, honestly.

"You did." Frisk agreed. "It took a while, but you did eventually forgive her and you both worked everything out. I commend you for that, I really do." Frisk said, honestly. "But it _was_ cheating, Fang. You were both in a committed relationship with each other at the time. Saying that what she did didn't count because you weren't instinctually mated with one another is bullshit. That's an excuse that the two of you came up with in order to appease your giant ego. The fact that you both hid her affair from the pack and continued on with the facade of your 'pairing' with one another proves that you both knew it was cheating." Frisk said, knowingly. "Ayame seriously fucked your mind up and you don't even realize the extent of what she did to you."

"It wasn't like that." Koga growled, as he struggled to remember the details. "I warned her going into our arranged mating that we might never actually bond with each other." Koga angrily said. "There was never any guarantee that nature would take over and we would ever become a true pair." He huffed. "We never experienced what a true mated relationship was supposed to be. We both grew up in packs. We were well aware of the natural physical connection that took place between mated wolf demons. We knew that we were obviously lacking and we also knew, from others, what the experience _should_ have been like. It used to wear on Ayame. She wanted to experience a true mate, and truth be told, so did I." Koga said, on a huff. "We couldn't give that to each other. So, I couldn't really hold it against her that she went outside of our relationship seeking what I couldn't give her."

"Fang…" Kagome said, in disbelief. "Do you hear yourself? You are making excuses for her! She went behind your back. She betrayed your trust. Why the hell would you so willingly accept that?"

"You'd never be able to understand, Rai. You're not a wolf demon. You didn't live in that world. Ayame and I had a pack to lead. We both lived to serve our people. We existed together for that very reason."

"You didn't need to stay in a forced relationship to lead the tribe, Fang. How many years did you both selflessly sacrifice by doing so? You both could have led as alphas without the political relationship."

"You don't understand! This wasn't Norway. This was ancient _Japan_." Koga stressed. "A female could only achieve alpha status by mating with an alpha male. This was the reason for the mating ceremony and the political union, it was the only way to peacefully unite the two tribes. I could have either overthrown Ayame's pack and forcibly taken it over by killing the elder, or I could have taken the elder's granddaughter as a mate. There was only one option that wouldn't lead to future hostilities or death!"

"Bullshit! Once you were mated and the elder was out of the picture, you both could have changed things! It didn't even occur to either of you to try!" Kagome spat.

Koga shook his head in frustration.

"Again, you wouldn't understand. You make everything out to seem so simple, but it really wasn't as easy as what you're suggesting."

"Do you want to play the psychologist on this one, Rai?" Frisk questioned, as he looked over at Kagome, hoping to turn the deciphering of Koga's monumental revelation over to her.

"None of this has anything to do with us." Koga said worriedly, as he studied Kagome's face. "I don't even know why this is coming up."

"If Ayame's betrayal traumatized you in some way, then it explains your paranoia, Koga. Do you honestly not see the connection?"

Koga just stared at her.

"Frisk is bringing all of this up because it really matters, baby."

"She's right." Frisk quipped. "Going through traumatic experiences changes the brain and it changes future behavior. Since you couldn't even remember any of this on your own, you must have suppressed it. But my powers take all memories, Fang. Even the ones your brain chooses to suppress in an effort to protect itself in some way. I get everything with one simple touch of my hand." Frisk said, seriously.

"This is why you get nervous trying new things with me." Kagome said, softly. "You do understand that, don't you?"

Koga's head tilted to the side as he thought upon this.

"You worry so much about meeting my expectations, because you obviously once felt that you couldn't measure up to Ayame's ridiculously high standards. On top of all of this, she emasculated you behind your back." Kagome said, sadly. "Baby, I know that you cared about her and she was family to you. I can just imagine how hurtful it must have been finding out that, not only was she not satisfied with _you_ , but she also sought satisfaction through _someone else_. You're a prideful man and you had no experience at the time. Ayame was your first and her terrible actions really landed a giant blow to your ego." Kagome continued. "One that you still won't willingly accept so many centuries later."

When Koga didn't immediately respond, Kagome pushed further.

"You do realize that her behavior was not your fault, don't you? You didn't have to be mated to have a solid romantic relationship with each other. However, Ayame never truly tried to be intimate with you. She never once talked to you about what she was feeling. You two were never a real team outside of your leadership responsibilities." Kagome soothed. "I absolutely understand now why trying things out of your normal comfort zone bothers you so much and why you think that you might somehow lose me to someone else. Christ, if only I had known all of this…"

"This is all news to me as well." Koga said, shakily.

"That whole drama with Ayame changed you permanently. It changed your perception of sex and intimacy." Frisk cut in. "Sex was never anything more than something physical for you ever since that experience. Once you and Ayame finally went your separate ways, you became extremely free with it. It became a casual thing for you and you enjoyed yourself as much as possible along with the sense of power that sex gave you. But Rai changed all of that for you. You got to experience real love and intimacy for the first time in your life and it was earth shattering, yet it triggered a whole bunch of fears and insecurities from deep within your subconscious as well. There is no control in love. You can't just walk away from Wraith like you so easily did with every other woman in your life. And you can't easily brush off a betrayal from Rai like you did with Ayame. Wraith matters to you and it would kill you to lose her. Everything is at stake with her and you have no power over it."

"This is so sad." Kagome mumbled, as she studied her mate's face.

Koga's brows furrowed as he stared upon the floor, attempting to make sense of the waves of hysteria that were beginning to wash over his body.

"So all in all, Fang. Do you think that a guy who is carrying around so much vulnerability and raw emotional baggage is fun to be with?" Frisk questioned, as he once again stole a glance over at Kagome.

"Of course I'm fun to be with." Koga angrily grumbled, under his breath.

"Of course you are." Frisk said smoothly. "When I look at Rai's puffy face…" He started, as he stared at Kagome. "…I can see just how much fun you really are to be with. Really." He whispered sarcastically, as he sadly shook his head.

Koga involuntarily looked at Kagome and her saddened state. As Frisk had said, her face was slightly swollen from all of the recent night's crying. She also looked defeated and utterly exhausted.

"Look, everything is out now. Think about this stuff. If you need help, you have Rai and you have me and Mystic, Fang. Don't be afraid to embrace all of this and figure it out." Frisk muttered, as he got up to leave.

"Wait!" Koga called out, as Frisk got to the door.

"What?"

"What was the idiotic explanation?" Koga questioned, as he stared at the floor.

"For what?"

"What was Rai's idiotic explanation for hiding the fact that she was a virgin?" He whispered.

"Ask her." Frisk muttered, as he opened the door. "She'll tell you." He said over his shoulder as he left, closing the door gently behind him.

"I was afraid that he would leave me if he found out. So I pretended." Kagome said simply, quickly answering Koga's previously voiced question.

"That's so…"

"…incredibly stupid?" Kagome finished for him. "Yes, I know."

"You do realize that for some men, finding a virgin is actually a giant perk?"

"Of course I do. But Frisk was never the type to date a virgin. Can't you tell?"

Koga shook his head. "Frisk's a good guy, Kagome."

"I know that. That's why I knew that if he found out, he never would have dated me. He never would have allowed my first time to be with him."

 _She's right._ Koga realized. _He would have ended things immediately. He holds himself to an extremely high moral standard. Especially when it comes to his friends._

"You totally screwed him over. Do you have any idea how horrible you must have made him feel in the moment that he figured everything out?"

"I do. I was there, remember?" She whispered. "Believe me, I saw what my omission did to him first hand." Kagome recalled, guiltily. "Plus, I've had a lot of time to think about it over the years, Koga."

"How did it go down?" Koga hissed, hating himself for asking.

"Right now, I'd really like to talk about you." She said seriously, as she looked him over.

"There's nothing to talk about." Koga huffed, becoming exasperated.

He felt completely raw and stupefied at the moment and he didn't understand why.

"Not that it matters much, but I'm really glad that I killed your bitch of an ex. I really am happy that I was the one to take that horrid woman down." Kagome grumbled, as she studied Koga's sad face.

"She wasn't as terrible as you're making her out to be. She deserved her death, Kagome. But she turned into that monster. She didn't start off that way."

"You really do love to make excuses for her."

"I do not."

"You do, too!" Kagome spat, angrily. "I'm sorry, but if the guy I lost my virginity to made me out to be a giant joke to everyone behind my back and cheated on me, I would have killed him! What kind of person would do that to someone?! That's absolutely disgusting!" She roared, becoming furious. "How dare she? I wish I was around back then because I would have killed her a lot sooner than I did!"

"If you were around back then, there never would have been a United Tribe in the first place. You'd be the ruling alpha female of the Eastern Tribe at my side, like I always believed you were meant to be." Koga whispered, allowing his heart to swell at his mate's protectiveness over him.

"Look at me." Kagome demanded, as she leaned over and cupped his face.

Koga leaned into her touch and held her eyes.

"You are an amazing lover and partner. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever told you that. But, you are _the best_ I've ever had, Koga. What Ayame did to you and how she made you feel, was HER problem, not the result of your abilities or lack thereof." She swore. "Allow yourself to be angry at her. You're entitled to that. You _should_ be angry with her. Once you place the blame on the right person, you might actually start to feel a lot better about a multitude of things." She said, softly. "If you make peace with your own past, you might be able to finally stop trying to own mine."

Koga sighed and pulled Kagome into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"I really don't deserve you." He whispered. "Thank you, baby."

"That's just it, Koga. You _do_ deserve me. You're a good man. A GIANT pain in the ass, but a good man, nonetheless. You have a beautiful and strong heart, and you deserve someone who will _always_ protect it for you." Kagome gently whispered into his ear. "I just have one question for you."

"What's that, baby?"

"What happened to the male wolf demon that Ayame cheated on you with?"

"He didn't survive the night." Koga said, quickly. "I had a reputation to upkeep, bonded male or not. I was the ruling Alpha of the United Tribe and a challenge such as that was punished by a very swift and very definitive death."


	31. Chapter 31

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 31

Before Koga and Kagome could attempt to further discuss any more of Koga's past, a loud howling rang out throughout the mountain, signaling breakfast.

"Come on. We can talk more about all of this later." Koga promised.

"We can hang back. We don't _have_ to go to breakfast. We can stay here and talk. I'm sure the team would be happy to bring us back something."

"I need some time to think through everything. I'd actually welcome the break." Koga admitted.

"You're shrugging this off because it upsets you."

"I'm not. I promise you, I'm not. I just need some time to think about all of this. We'll talk about this more." Koga said swiftly, as he took Kagome's hand in his and kissed her palm. "I promise."

Kagome studied him before she nodded and lifted from his lap.

Koga made quick work of dressing and the couple headed out to the hallway, noticing that their team was already outside waiting for them.

"We would have knocked, but we didn't want to 'interrupt' anything." Mystic playfully teased. However the petite woman's cheerful expression fell the moment that she noticed Kagome's face.

 _Is everything ok?_ Mystic nervously asked, into Kagome's consciousness. _You don't look well._

 _Everything is fine for right now, I promise. I'll fill you in later._ Kagome advised her friend.

Mystic tore her eyes away from their concerned study of Kagome's face and the team took off after Koga, who was leading them to the dining cave.

On their way, they heard several loud bursts of howling ring out from outside. The sound was followed by frantic rusting from within the mountain and the appearance of a small band of wolf demons which were scrambling to rush passed them.

"What's going on?" Trace whispered, worriedly.

"Thoren is here." Koga translated. "She is urgently demanding Lucian's audience."

"Who is Thoren?" Kagome questioned.

"No idea." Koga muttered, before his eyes were drawn to Lucian's angry and predatory form entering their cavern.

The man completely ignored them as he darted down the path that his warriors had previously exited.

"Something's wrong." Kagome realized, as she turned to take off after him.

She was instantly stopped by Koga's firm grasp of her wrist.

"For once in your life, can you please just mind your business? If something is wrong, we will find out about it soon enough. Let's just go to the dining cave and eat." He growled, his eyes pleading.

Kagome sighed and acquiesced, allowing Koga to lead her down their previously chosen path.

Upon their entrance into the dining cave, the group set off towards their previous night's table and patiently waited for Lucian to arrive so that they could sit down and eat.

While they stood around waiting, Kagome noticed that Lucian's eldest son, Fenrir, was in the far corner of the cave and was on the floor, leaning over a large piece of parchment that he was furiously drawing upon.

He appeared to be completely lost within his work and both of his hands were manically sweeping over the paper, roughly smudging it with two slivers of coal.

The wolf demons within the cave appeared to be purposefully leaving him alone, providing him with space.

After several moments of watching him from afar, curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over to investigate. When she got within several feet of him, she stood on her tip toes to peek over his crouched form and took a look at his work.

Once the image came into view she gasped lowly.

It was a sketch of Koga in full bloodlust form, angrily slashing Lucian's face during last night's battle. Koga was depicted as flying high in the air and his face was twisted into an animalistic and savage roar with his fangs fully bared. His right claw had just cut deeply through the left side of Lucian's face and the blood from the strike was pulled from the tips of Koga's claws into an arching sweep within the air, following the predatory motion. Lucian's clawed hand was reactively reaching upwards and his sharp talons were only moments away from tearing through her mate's arm. Koga's muscles were impossibly tight and his furs appeared to be blowing against the wind along with his long and loose raven hair. The fierce and raw moment that Fenrir had captured in his drawing was brutal and sadistic, yet the violence somehow felt beautiful to look upon.

Kagome couldn't help but become completely enthralled by it.

"You are _so_ talented." She whispered as her eyes ogled the sketch in awe.

She fully assumed that Fenrir couldn't understand her praise of his abilities.

"Thank you." He grumbled, as he looked up from his work.

"You can speak with humans?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"Not, well. I understand some. My mother taught me." He said, his voice a low and soft timbre.

Fenrir was a werewolf that looked exactly like his father. He had a hulking and muscled build. However, he wore his long silver hair braided tightly against his scalp with the remainder of its length trailing loosely down his back. Like Aslaug, he had his father's tattoo which spread down the side of his head and face before spreading down his neck and chest. However, he had his mother's blue eyes and his face was much softer than the harsh one of his father's.

"You appear to have inherited your mother's creativity." Kagome said softly, as she admired his drawing.

"She paints with words." Fenrir said, on a smile.

Kagome nodded. "That she can."

"I prefer my hands." He said, simply.

"May I have that drawing?" Kagome asked, sweetly. "I'm willing to pay you in some way."

"Pay?"

"I would like to exchange something of equal value for your work." She explained.

"You can summon my mother at will. Can you not?" Fenrir asked timidly, as he stared at her. "Cell phone?" He pushed.

Kagome chuckled.

"You are familiar with cell phones?" She said, sweetly.

"Of course. We all are. We see humans use them. They allow for the ability to speak to someone far away." He grumbled.

"I am happy to call your mother for you. But, that is not a fair exchange for your artwork. I'd do that for you freely." She said, honestly.

"I would give you this freely as well." Fenrir admitted, as he pointed to his drawing and flashed her a toothy grin.

 _He's very sweet by nature._ Kagome thought to herself. _He may physically look just like Lucian, but this guy's all Annika in spirit._ She realized.

With utmost care, Fenrir rolled up his giant drawing and passed it over to Kagome who in turn sent a video chat request to Annika and handed her phone to Fenrir.

The moment that Annika answered, Fenrir happily left the dining cave. Apparently he was going to find a place that would afford him some privacy.

Kagome gently clutched her precious gift to her chest as she quickly made her way back to her team.

"What is that?" Koga asked curiously, as he eyed the roll of paper.

"It's an amazing sketch of you! Fenrir drew it!" Kagome said happily, as she beamed at him. "I can't wait to show you! I want to frame this and hang it over our bed at home!"

Koga's eyebrow rose in interest, but before he could ask her to show him, Aslaug entered the cave.

To say that she appeared angry would be an understatement.

The woman looked absolutely pissed.

Her eyes were red and her fangs were extended passed her chin. She stalked into the cave as if she were on the hunt. Before Kagome could study her further, a much larger female wolf demon, with long silver hair, teal eyes and the famous family tattoo entered the cave behind her. This woman looked like Lucian and Fenrir and she was dragging something heavy behind her as she entered the cave.

The silver hair woman stormed into the center of the cave and howled loudly, before making a grand show of her fangs. She followed this by roughly throwing the two large objects that she had been dragging behind her onto the center of the floor.

They landed in a harsh thud.

Everyone in the cave took a few steps forward in interest, attempting to see what the woman had brought for them.

It only took a minute for the realization of what they were actually looking at to sink in. Once it did, Kagome instinctually grabbed onto Koga's arm for support as she held her mouth and tried to suppress a gag.

 _Two mangled bodies!_ Kagome's mind hissed, as she tried to look away from their mauled state.

The two victims were male and their mouths were still open in horror, as were their eyes. Their bodies appeared to be half eaten. Flesh and muscle was hanging from their bones and claw marks adorned the skin that was left on their carcasses. Legs were completely missing from both bodies and a trail of bloodied and messy entrails hung from their bellies.

"What the fuck?" Frisk whispered, as he took several steps backward and shot Kagome a serious look.

"I don't know what is happening." She whispered to him, as her eyes darted around to study the crowd of demons that occupied the dining cave with them.

Once the silver haired woman was certain that she had everyone in the cave's attention, she began to loudly growl and bark. As she did so, her eyes landed on Alpha Team and she winced in disgust.

She took several steps in their direction and extended her claws. The moment she made eye contact with Kagome, she fell into a crouch.

"She's going to pounce!" Kagome spat, as she immediately threw her protective shield up over her and her team.

"Fang, what is going on?" Mystic whispered, as she and the remainder of the team withdrew their Glocks.

"All she said was that the humans were the enemy." Koga said angrily.

With these words, the woman took off. She moved with great speed and there was a slight after image during her hurried movements. She did not hesitate to slam her thick claws against Kagome's shield before anyone had time to react.

She seemed to become agitated that she hadn't been able to get through the barrier on the first try. Now frustrated, she back flipped away several times, giving herself additional distance to pick up a stronger momentum. Once she has cleared the width of the cave, she took off. She appeared near the shield in an instant and hastily slammed her claws into the barrier from a different angle. This time with much more force.

The barrier did not break and the realization of this seemed to push the woman into a rage. Before she could begin pounding against the shield like a savage beast, Alpha Team watched on as she was roughly grabbed by the scruff of her neck and thrown brutally into the cave's far side wall.

As the dust settled, the form of a most uninterested Fenrir stood in her former place.

The woman brushed herself off and threw Fenrir a hateful look.

He rolled his eyes in response.

It was at this moment that Lucian entered the room. He took a moment to stare at Kagome's shield before his eyes roamed over to Fenrir and the silver haired woman at the far side of the cave.

The woman began to growl and Lucian held up his hand, instantly silencing her.

"These two humans…" Lucian rumbled, as he approached the bodies that were sprawled out on the dining cave's floor. "…were caught attempting to track down my daughter, Thoren's, pack." Lucian said, on a low grumble. "Several other humans were also caught hunting the packs of my children." Lucian spat. "None of which were allowed to survive."

Alpha Team held their breath while they tried to make sense of this information.

"Tiny human!" Lucian shouted, startling Kagome out of her thoughts. "Look upon them." He ordered, on a low growl.

Kagome gulped and centered herself, marching forward to the center of the cave. She willed her face to remain emotionless as she scanned the bodies of the two humans up close.

She sighed to herself when their glowing tattoos came into view.

"They are from The Order." Kagome whispered, as she shook her head. "How many were there in total?"

"Six. The other four were discovered by two other packs. Word was passed along by wolves. However, Thoren decided to bring word personally and brought these two precious gifts with her." Lucian grumbled.

Kagome shook her head.

"They are trying to figure out who or what was behind the recent attacks on the human farmers. They obviously assumed it was a demonic attack if they've sent their people in to investigate." She grumbled. "You've managed to get on their radar." She huffed. "This is bad, Lucian. Who knows how many holy users they've dispatched and how many have managed to find the locations of your children's packs and spread word."

"You've managed to start a war." Koga grumbled. "If The Order comes after you, it could hinder the truce that we've submitted to the government here."

Kagome dropped to her knees by the side of one of the carcasses.

"Get everyone out of here." She whispered, as she met Lucian's eyes. "Now."

Lucian frowned at her but eventually did what he was told. He threw his head back and howled loudly. The sound of it made all wolf demons in the room immediately scramble to exit.

Within a few minutes the room had completely cleared out with the exception of Lucian, his children and Alpha Team.

"They need to leave too." Kagome instructed, as she pointed to Lucian's children and closed her eyes.

For a moment, Lucian's head tilted to the side as her processed her words. He hesitantly looked over to his children before he lowly barked at them, not sparing them another glance as they too exited the dinning cave.

"I need everyone to be silent." Kagome whispered.

With these words, Lucian and Alpha Team huddled around her with interest, curious to see what she was about to do.

Kagome began attempting to calm herself by centering her energy. Once she felt balanced, she opened her eyes and gently held the dangling hand of the dead man that was crumpled at her side.

At the contact Kagome immediately felt heavenly warmth flood through her.

"You are stuck here, aren't you?" She whispered, as she strained to listen for a response.

Several seconds passed before a low whisper coasted over her ear.

"This is not the promised nirvana." It said, worriedly.

 _That's the second member of The Order that's said this upon death._ Kagome realized. _Why don't their souls move on from this world after they die?_ She wondered.

As far as she knew, a soul should speed right through to the other side once a body was no longer tying it here.

 _Unless, it has somehow become tainted._ She realized. _This group is responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people. However, they believe they are truly saving the world in some way._ She thought sadly, before understanding set in. _They don't even realize how much suffering they've caused._

Kagome tried to remember all of her grandfather's teachings and review all of the past experience that she had gathered from her time spent in Feudal Japan.

 _Earthbound spirits are those that roam the Earth because they cannot make peace with something._ She remembered. _They need to fix something that is left unresolved._

"Rai, what are you doing?" Koga whispered over her.

She tried to ignore him.

 _Are dead members of The Order stuck here because they did not complete their mission?_ She wondered.

However, the more she thought it over, the more something didn't seem to fit.

 _The people in this group seem to be very nice people as a whole._ She realized, thinking back on her brief time spent with Tenshi and Kondo. _But, they're so enthusiastic about the idea of being chosen to 'save the world' that their believed responsibilities to The Order blind them to the horrendous nature of their actions. Killing people who are struggling to get away from them and who have caused no harm in this world, goes directly against the basic duties of a holy user. We are put on this earth to help others. Helping is what drives us. It is our very nature. When these people murder their victims, they HAVE to feel the harm that they are causing deep within the very depths of their souls._ Kagome knew. _They'd feel it just as I would, and it would be very painful._ She realized. _But they push that pain down and push forward, because if they don't, they wouldn't be able to continue on._

"Earth to Rai." Frisk whispered above her.

 _These people have gone against the very nature of their true purpose in this world._ Kagome repeated internally. _Unless they acknowledge that, and embrace true enlightenment about what they have done, they will be stuck here._ _These people must repent!_

The thought blew through her brain like a freight train, and for some reason, it made perfect sense.

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. The Order wasn't helping to restore balance; it was actually skewing the natural order of things for _her people_.

"You cannot pass over because you've gone against your spiritual purpose." Kagome knowingly replied to the soul of the man that she was currently touching. "Only you don't realize it. Until you do and until you repent for your actions, you will be stuck to wander this world."

"Terrible things?" The voice questioned.

"Who is she talking to?" Trace whispered shakily in the background.

"Murdering gifted beings is evil. Murdering _anyone_ is evil! Your blind faith in your group's purpose is what keeps you tied to this world. Your ignorance is what is keeping you here." Kagome continued.

"Restoring balance is the work of the light. It is not evil. You associate with The Tainted _and_ The Corrupted. _You_ are evil." The voice said, angrily.

"I could try to help you move on. I could, but I won't. Not until you understand the gravity of your sins." She spat.

"That's it. It's finally happened." Frisk mumbled. "Rai's finally lost her God damn mind!" He said worriedly, as he focused all of his attention on Koga. "This is one hundred percent _your_ fault! You've finally driven her bat shit crazy!"

"How many others were sent out with you?" Kagome whispered, as she threw a dirty look over to her team, silencing them. "What is The Order planning?"

"I will tell you nothing!" The voice shouted. "You are evil!"

"You're catching me on a very bad day, asshole!" She hissed. "You can either tell me, or I'll force you to! I've no time to play this game!"

Koga and the remainder of Alpha Team worriedly stared at Kagome as they listened to her one sided argument with the mangled chunk of torso escalate.

"Fang, maybe you should do something?" Terrain whispered, as she nudged him. "She's losing it."

"I think she's talking to that guy's soul. She's done it once before while we were on a mission together." He whispered in response, as he prayed to a higher power that he was right.

Kagome had been under a lot of stress lately and their giant fight yesterday did nothing to assure his confidence in her current mental state.

"That's it. I warned you!" Kagome shouted, as she began to call forth her purification energy.

The resulting blast had her many onlookers scrambling to take several steps backwards.

Koga was immediately engulfed within Kagome's shield and Lucian was encased within a shield created by his opaque aura in response.

 _My energy was able to help Mei._ Kagome remembered, as she reached out to the dead man's soul and forcibly connected to it. _I was able to break down her walls and change her for the better. I was able to make her feel and truly live, all without even trying. Maybe if I actually try this time around, I can force this idiot to change as well._ She hoped.

As the man's soul was quickly overtaken by Kagome's spirit, she felt it ease in to her and relax. She continued on in this way, intentionally wrapping her warmth over his, changing the charge and rotation of his spirit with the force of hers.

"This is heaven." The man said, as he lowly groaned.

"This is peace." Kagome whispered. "Look inside of yourself and listen to your soul. It will always be honest with you. Do you truly believe that the crimes that you've committed during your service with The Order were justified?" She pushed.

She felt the man's spirit hesitate for only a second before it strongly hummed within her connection.

 _He's realizing it, for the very first time._ She thought, knowingly.

Once the man's spirit felt balanced, Kagome spoke again.

"How many people did The Order send to Norway?"

"There were eight of us." The man retorted. "Four groups of two."

"Why were you sent here?"

"The Order received photographic evidence of the demonic attacks against the farmers here from an ally within the Norwegian government. Holy User teams were sent in so that we might identify the type of demons responsible for the attacks and find out where they were hiding. Once armed with information, His Immaculacy would be able to put together a plan with which to strike back." The man's voice said.

"Lucian." Kagome worriedly called out, as she struggled to see the werewolf's king's face which was currently hidden behind a black shield of his own aura. "A total of eight holy users were sent here to investigate the attacks on the farmers. You can only account for six of them. Two are missing." She warned.

"I will send word to the remainder of my children." Lucian boomed.

"All members are marked with this tattoo." Kagome bit out, as she held up the dead man's hand that she was currently holding within hers. "Ensure that your packs do not take out anyone _without_ this marking or this country may very well erupt in a civil war." She instructed, before turning her attention over to Koga.

"Fang, please go and retrieve my phone from Fenrir. I need to speak to the General immediately." Kagome ordered.

* * *

Yuu found himself on a park bench in Hindenburgstraße of Mainz, Neustadt, Germany. He was presently seated next to agent Divination and he was holding her hand affectionately. They were under the guise of a touristic couple taking in the Goetheplatz park, which was located near the New Synagogue of Mainz.

He and his partner were currently waiting for his sister's boyfriend, agent Trinity, to bring the General's dog out for a walk.

From what he understood from the provided mission brief, the General's dog was aiding Trinity on his solo mission to infiltrate The Order. The dog had just so happened to come in contact with The Order's machine. As the animal had been the only one that managed to see the weapon, agent Divination, a master psychic, was under orders to search the dog's memories. Once she had done so, it was her mission to channel the visuals into Yuu's brain so that he could fully understand the severity of what their organization was truly dealing with.

"They're late." Yuu grumbled, as Divination cuddled into him.

"Trinity is pretending to be blind. It may take him some time to get here." She whispered into his ear.

Several minutes of forced affection passed before Trinity slowly came into their field of vision.

Yuu stared at the dog that flanked Trinity's side. It was his first time seeing it.

The animal was very large and had puffy white fur which begged to be stroked. It also shared Yuu's golden eyes.

The canine appeared to be staring at him in absolute wonder.

As Trinity slowly approached his agency comrades, he took a seat on an adjacent bench.

"Can I pet your dog, Sir!" Divination squealed out to him. "Is that allowed? I know Seeing Eye dogs have strict training. I don't want to distract the animal if he's working." She said softly, as Trinity slowly turned his ear in her direction.

 _This guy is a wonderful actor._ Yuu realized. _Figures that Mei's so into him._

"Of course you can." Trinity said softly, as he let go of Inuyasha's harness and loosened his grip on his leash, allowing him the slack with which to cross the distance between the benches.

Inuyasha didn't move. The animal instead appeared to be openly gaping at Yuu.

 _That's MY body!_ Inuyasha's mind screamed. _It exists in this world! That's the body I am supposed to be in!_ He roared.

"Fluffy." Trinity whispered harshly.

Inuyasha jolted at the sound of his fake name and suddenly remembered the grave purpose behind this planned meeting. He shook his head to center himself before he happily pranced over to Divination. The moment he got within range, the woman pulled him to her. She began to hug him and gently stroke his fur while staring deeply into his eyes.

Inuyasha's brain began to feel fuzzy.

 _Focus on the machine._ He ordered himself, as he replayed all of the images that he saw from the night before.

He spent several minutes this way, until the woman released him and placed a sweet kiss atop his head.

"Such a good boy." She cooed, dismissing him.

Inuyasha looked from her, over to her male companion. He didn't realize he was once again staring until Trinity gently tugged at his leash.

Inuyasha regretfully stalked his way back over to Trinity and nudged him. Once he did, Trinity reached out and felt around for his harness. Upon contact with it, he grabbed the handle and made to exit the park.

As they exited, Divination cupped Yuu's face and brought his focus upon her.

"Keep your eyes open." She whispered, before she leaned over to him and took his mouth in a gentle kiss.

To anyone else in the park, she and Yuu appeared to be a young couple in love, sharing their affections.

However, as their eyes held each other's in apparent devotion, Yuu could only see flashes of technology before his eyes.

And what he was witnessing was setting off loud alarm bells in his brain.

When the images stopped flashing, Divination released her mouth from his and tore her eyes away.

"Let's go back to the hotel, baby." Yuu whispered, as he wrapped his arm around her back.

Divination nodded and the duo stood, arms wrapped around each other, as they set off in the familiar direction of their hotel.

* * *

"You'll never believe what type of demons are responsible for the Norway attacks." Amber angrily said, as she approached His Immaculacy in his private office.

"What kind?"

"Wolf!" Amber shouted, angrily.

"How many are we talking about?" Mikhal huffed.

"The team that was dispatched to Hardangervidda was only able to catch a glimpse of one pack hidden within the nature reserve that is located there. From first glance, there appeared to be hundreds."

Mikhal shook his head. This news made him weary.

"Could this pack be responsible for all twenty six attacks?" He questioned. "What of the other teams that were dispersed? Have you heard back from any of them?"

"None of the other teams have made contact yet. We only have news from just the one." Amber said, quickly. "However, I have dire information from my friend in the government." Amber hissed, as she took a seat in front of Mikhal's desk and rubbed her eyes.

Mikhal looked upon her with worry.

"A race of 'ancient gifted beings' has just taken responsibility for the attacks on the Norwegian farmers. They are brazenly requesting a truce contingent upon the country's forced protection of the country's native wolf population. They are citing that their very existence is tied to the longevity of the animal. Without it, they will no longer be able to continue their _peaceful_ way of life." Amber growled. "Can you believe that?! Peaceful way of life my ass!"

"How is the government responding to these requests?" Mikhal quickly asked, harshly cutting her off.

"According to my friend, they will most likely honor their demands." Amber said, becoming defeated. "The Norwegian people are peaceful and the government will do what it can to protect an ancient civilization that has managed to survive throughout the centuries within its borders. The Prime Minister is interested in meeting with the leader of this 'ancient gifted civilization' to conduct peace negotiations personally."

"The world is overly accepting of 'gifted beings'." Mikhal grumbled. "If only everyone knew what these so called, 'gifted individuals' were really doing to the natural order of things, they would hunt them down instead of embrace them."

"What do you suggest?" Amber whispered, as she held Mikhal's serious eyes.

"What is the status of the Equalizer?" He questioned.

Amber's eyes immediately lit up.

"It is in sound mechanical order. It just awaits testing, your Immaculacy."

"Get that machine over to the Hardangervidda nature preserve." Mikhal said seriously. "Update me on the departure. I will attend the testing phase personally." He said smoothly, as he stood from his desk and reached for his cup of special wine. "While I am away, I trust you to keep order in my stead."

"Thank you. I will clear your schedule for the next few days. You can count on me to run things." Amber said, seriously.

"Of course I can." Mikhal said smoothly, as he took a sip of his drink and allowed the liquid to slowly revitalize him. "You are my most trusted associate, Amber."

With this, Amber beamed.

"How are things otherwise?" Mikhal asked offhandedly, as his mind scrambled to organize the details surrounding his upcoming impromptu trip.

"Things are good. The new members of this congregation are settling in well. One is a blind man named Richard who has a Seeing Eye dog." She said, sweetly.

"You always were a sucker for animals." Mikhal chuckled.

"This one is _especially_ adorable, and he's so smart! He can even open doors!" She said, proudly.

"Does he really? I'd love to see that."

"He even uses the toilet!" Amber continued, as she allowed herself to giggle.

"Get out! Wow! Those dogs really do go through some interesting training."

"Everyone loves him here. He brightens up a room with his very presence. With all the stress we've all been under lately, having him here has been truly uplifting. He serves as Richard's eyes, but he serves all of us as a therapy animal of sorts."

"I'd like to meet this special animal before I leave." Mikhal said, allowing himself to smile. "Anything that can make our somber Amber giggle is certainly worth my personal attention."

* * *

Sesshomaru patiently listened to Kagome finish her update on the events that had taken place that morning from atop Lucian's mountain. As he did, he studied her furrowed brows and tired eyes as she worriedly spoke. She looked to be utterly exhausted.

"It is imperative to find the two missing members of The Order before they figure out who was behind the recent farmer attacks." Sesshomaru said in a smooth voice, while he internally worried about his most valued agent's mental and physical state.

"Lucian's people are working on it." Kagome grumbled, as she rubbed at her temples.

Sesshomaru was about to ask Kagome if she was alright, when his phone pinged, alerting him that his grandson was attempting to call him.

"Hold on." He commanded, while he picked up the other line.

Yuu made no attempt to exchange formalities, he instead began to immediately ramble about his findings after his recent encounter with his canine uncle. After several moments of, what Sesshomaru considered to be, 'technical gibberish' was divulged, he interrupted Yuu's frantic speech.

"I will call you back." He said quickly, as he cut the line. He then jumped back onto the line with Kagome.

"I am conferencing in another agent." He advised, as he sent a video request to Yuu.

He was glad when the man immediately accepted.

The screen of his phone was then split between his grandson's worried image and Kagome's tired one.

He watched as Kagome winced as if in pain as she looked upon the image of his grandson. Yuu seemed to have a similar reaction to her, as well.

"I would like you to summarize your findings regarding the mechanics of that machine in plain terms." Sesshomaru ordered, drawing their joint focus back on him. "As simple as you can make them."

Yuu closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to calm down before he once again tried to explain the situation, this time, in layman's terms.

"The machine that The Order has engineered is a self-sustaining system. Going strictly upon what I saw, it has already been charged. That being said, it is now able to power itself, which makes it a completely portable piece of machinery." He said calmly. "Without getting into the numerous details; the energy that it creates can also be channeled into the artifact at the heart of the system, summoning its abilities on a wide scale. Based upon the wattage and circuits contained within, the machine can most likely reach within a five mile radius and still maintain enough power after use to recharge itself. To disable it, someone will need to disconnect some of the wires within. If it's not done correctly, that thing could explode."

"Great." Kagome grumbled. "They're sending this thing to Norway?"

"That is correct." Sesshomaru advised. "They plan on testing it on the wolf demons there in retribution for their attacks on the human farmers."

"Then we have to find a way to destroy that thing while they still have it in their care." Kagome spat. "Someone needs to go in there and disable it."

"Our intelligence from within advises that the machine is under guard twenty four hours a day." Sesshomaru said, coldly.

"Can't we just arm a bunch of humans and have them force their way in?" Kagome said, quickly losing patience.

"If they set that abomination off, there will be casualties within the machine's reach in Germany." Yuu replied. "Innocent gifted people and demons that live around the synagogue will die."

"Is there a way to evacuate the area?" Kagome wondered.

"That might be our only option." Sesshomaru agreed.

"Can we fool the government there and organize a mass evacuation of some sort? The Order won't willingly abandon the machine. We could use an armed human team to go in and take control." Kagome said thoughtfully. As she spoke, Yuu nodded in agreement.

"Agent Inuyasha, if the machine was operating on max power, what would you estimate to be the full reach of its blast?"

"Most likely, ten miles. But, there's no way I can be certain unless I am able to physically look at the engineering."

"To be safe, we shall assume fifty." Sesshomaru said, as his brows furrowed. "I will be back in touch with each of you." He promised, as he disconnected the call.

* * *

Koga found Kagome sitting at one of the dinning cave's tables and staring at her phone in frustration.

"I'm afraid to ask." He grumbled, as he approached her.

"We're going to be stuck here for a bit longer."

"Define 'a bit'."

"Sesshomaru is going to get back to me with orders. We have a big fucking problem on our hands right now." She said, shakily.

"I am sure Lucian's packs will find the missing members of The Order's search team." Koga said reassuringly, as he reached out and began to rub her shoulder.

"That's not the entire issue, there's more to it." She whispered angrily, as she stood up and tried to take off.

She was only able to take two steps before Koga's hold on her shoulder stopped her stride.

"I'm worried about you. Why don't you take a break?" He said softly, as he approached her tense form and wrapped his arms around her.

Kagome leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes for a moment before she placed a kiss over his heart. She then gently handed him her rolled up drawing before hurriedly taking off in Lucian's direction.

The werewolf king was having a hurried conversation with his children and his eyes rose the moment that Kagome approached him.

"How accurate are your premonitions?" She asked him quickly, as she flanked his side.

He seemed off put by the question.

"All things foretold take place." He grumbled.

"Have you ever been wrong before?"

"No."

"God damn it." She grumbled. "I think I have a pretty good idea what lights up the sky in your dreams, only it's not one of my arrows." She said, worriedly.

Lucian frowned and raised his hand in the air. The motion dispersed his familial audience.

"Walk with me." He grumbled as he took off, forcing Kagome to run to keep up with him.

"Can we please sit down somewhere?" Kagome spat, as she chased him. "Running isn't conducive to effective information exchange!"

* * *

"Don't you dare." Frisk warned, as he watched Koga stare at the pathway that Kagome and Lucian had just gone down from his place within the dining cave.

Koga sucked his teeth and began to pace wildly.

After several minutes of circling around, Frisk swore that he was actually beginning to get dizzy just from watching him.

"Sit down!" He ordered, as he pointed to the seat in front of his own, at Lucian's table.

Koga sighed in defeat and slowly stalked his way over to him. With obvious effort, Koga forced himself to sit down.

"What's on your mind?" Frisk asked, curiously.

"Not a damn thing."

"You'll never get better unless you acknowledge your bullshit." Frisk said, offhandedly.

Koga sighed.

"What's going on in that wacky brain of yours, Fang?"

"He's going to come on to her." Koga grumbled. "That's what I'm picturing." He admitted.

"What do you think Wraith will do if he does?"

"She'll refuse him." Koga said, honestly.

"Then that's all there is to it." Frisk said, on a sigh.

"But what if…."

"She is more than capable of taking care of herself." Frisk interrupted.

"But he could try to convince her..."

"She's _not_ Ayame." Frisk said, quickly.

Koga rubbed at his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why are you so hell bent on helping us?" He grumbled, as he worked at his pounding headache.

"If you make it past two years, I am going to win a hell of a lot of money in a bet." Frisk said, smoothly. "But, after the two year mark, the two of you are on your own."

"Thank you... Wait. What?!" Koga shouted, as his eyes flew open.

"After you almost killed me, no one believed you would make it past one year. I'm playing against the odds. I stand to make a fortune off of you guys if you, at least, make it to two years."

Koga felt his blood boil.

"Would you relax? I'm kidding!" Frisk roared, as he began manically laughing. "I swear, you're just as gullible as that blind Canadian we have running around our base now!"

"Frisk..."

"You're my friend." Frisk interrupted, with complete seriousness. "More than that, your membership on this team makes you my family." He huffed. "And I take care of my own. Always will." He continued. "I've seen firsthand how far you're willing to go for Rai. I witnessed you protect her body and mourn her loss when she died, which, truth be told, destroyed me to watch. I watched you fight against your inner beast with everything that you had that night as you attempted to hold onto your last shred of sanity, just so that you could try to save her, Fang. I also I saw you happily attempt to trade your life for hers, without a seconds worth of hesitation. But..." He trailed off, as his face twisted into a hateful scowl. "... if I ever find out that you've made her cry again, I will not hesitate to beat the ever living shit out of you." He promised, as a dark sadistic grin fluttered over his features.

Koga chuckled.

"I don't intend to." He spat. "But I will say this. I'm glad Rai has you in her life. As annoying and demented as you are, you're a good and trustworthy man. And..." He trailed off, as if his next words were hard to speak. "... I'm glad her first time was with you and not with some piece of shit that didn't give a damn about her feelings or her future well being."

"Like what you ended up with?"

"Yes. Exactly like what I ended up with." Koga growled, fighting the bile that was rising into his throat.

"It hurts to say that out loud for the first time, doesn't it? It's been much easier to come up with a bunch of excuses and romanticized stories this far, hasn't it? I'm actually proud of you, Fang. This is a giant step in the right direction."

Koga narrowed his eyes and appeared to be lost in thought.

"My powers don't give me the feelings that were experienced along with the memories." Frisk grumbled. "But, I gotta say, most of your memories of Ayame were really nasty to watch. It didn't take much to see how her words and behavior would constantly chip away at your self-esteem." Frisk said, angrily. "If it helps any, from what I've seen, _she_ was really terrible in bed, not you. I don't know how the hell you stuck it out with that bitch for two centuries, especially if the time spent in the bedroom wasn't making up for the miserable time spent outside of it." He admitted.

"I didn't have anything to compare it to." Koga hissed. "At the time, I assumed that's all there was to sex. Ayame was a beautiful and strong woman, and I enjoyed claiming her. It just messed with me that she didn't always cum."

"Well, maybe if she did more than just lay there like a dead fish, she probably would have."

Koga found himself laughing against his better judgement as he watched Frisk dramatically roll his eyes.

"It wasn't…"

"…that bad?" Frisk finished for him. "Your natural gut reaction is to try to defend her in some way, because by doing so, you're defending your asinine decision to stay with her. You can't protect _your_ pride unless you somehow find a way to also protect everyone else's perception of her." Frisk huffed. "But, yes, Fang, sex with Ayame really was _that_ bad. Sex with her was absolutely boring and terrible. You have experience now, a hell of a lot of it, as a matter of fact. Try honestly telling me that Ayame wasn't the worst that you've ever been with."

"Well…" Koga grumbled. "She actually was." He sighed, allowing himself to think upon it. "Half the time I had to fight just to cum myself. She never wanted to try anything either. It was always the same three positions with me taking on the dominant role. She never once took the initiative. Not once."

"It would have been more fun to just jerk off." Frisk muttered. "Why the hell did you give that up, anyway?"

"Because Rai ruined it for me."

"How the hell did she do that?"

"She died. At least, I honestly believed that she had died back then. I only used to touch myself when I was thinking about her before she… left." He admitted. "After she disappeared, I tried to take care of myself a few times, but I couldn't help but picture her; the woman that I truly loved, but hadn't been able to protect. It made me feel guilty and I was never able to finish, nor was I ever able to think about anyone else. Jerking off to someone that I believed had passed away seemed sick and disrespectful in a way. So, I just stopped bothering and I intentionally buried all of my memories of her altogether."

"You are the most overly complicated person that I've ever met. If I was stuck with Ayame, I'd be bonding with my right hand constantly, to any dead person that I could think of. It would be a definite upgrade from the dead fish that I was sticking my cock inside of every night. That's for damn sure."

With these words, Koga erupted into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"I'm being serious. I think I could even get off on the image of an actual corpse had I been in your situation. I would have been in full blown sexual survival mode over the span of those two centuries. _Anything_ would have been better than bedding your alpha female. No wonder you turned into a nymphomaniac after you two split. Everything that you did after that break up was a hundred times better than what you chose to settle for over the course your two hundred year relationship."

"You might actually be right." Koga chuckled.

He found himself truly relaxing into the conversation.

 _How nice is it to actually be able to talk about stuff like this?_ He asked himself. _How long has it been since I've allowed myself the chance to vent, instead of locking everything away?_ He wondered.

"Was it hard for you to meet Rai's new boyfriends after you two stopped dating?" Koga asked, eerily enjoying himself.

"Not at all. Our decision to split was mutual and we were never in love with each other. Our relationship never went away, it just changed into a different one." Frisk advised. "Plus, all of the people of interest that Rai brought around seemed to be decent enough. Aside from you, Sleeper used to be my favorite."

"What was so special about him?"

Frisk smiled mischievously and his eyes twinkled as he held Koga's.

" _Her_." He corrected.

Koga blinked several times.

"But I thought…"

"You thought wrong."

"Does Rai…"

"Yes, she does."

"Wow." Koga huffed.

"Sleeper was born a woman. At least, that's what Rai told me. However, she always took on a man's appearance and we always referred to her as a 'he' because Sleeper preferred it that way. Sleeper internally identified as a male, not a female. But who knows just what kind of crazy antics he and Rai got up to when they were both alone together."

Koga instantly felt a scorching heat wash over him as he thought upon this.

"Aren't you quite the hypocrite?" Frisk chuckled, as he noticed Koga's eyes instantly lose focus and his face blush. "Are you picturing Rai with another woman right now?" He asked, incredulously. "Isn't that, by your own standards, betraying Rai in some way, Fang?" He teased, referencing the couple's argument over Kagome's dreams from the night before.

"I… No… Wha…" Koga stammered, as he struggled to somehow get the current sexual images out of his brain.

"Of course not. You would never do that, would you?" Frisk pushed, in mock horror. "You would never accept such behavior from Rai! So, you definitely wouldn't be guilty of it yourself."

"No! Never" Koga angrily spat.

"Do you want to see her picture?" Frisk whispered, devilishly.

"Yes!" Koga shouted without a single moment's hesitation, as he quickly leaned over the table and practically dove into Frisk's lap.

"You are unbelievable." Frisk said on a sigh, as he reached for his phone and began to access his image files.

Koga watched in heated anticipation as Frisk's fingers expertly scrolled through a ton of thumb nailed images on the screen of his phone.

"Here. This is supposedly her true form." Frisk whispered, as he enlarged an image and passed over the phone. "Rai convinced her to show us what she really looked like over drinks at Gunbae."

Koga eagerly snatched the phone from Frisk's hand and vaulted back into his seat. He then openly stared at the gorgeous woman who had her arms wrapped around Kagome's waist in the photo. She appeared to be an inch taller than Kagome and had stunning purple eyes and matching purple hair, the long and thick length of it reaching far past her ass. She had an hour glass figure and a thin frame. She also had a large chest and a playful pout. Her features were soft and innocent and her skin was the color of porcelain, much like Kagome's.

The thought of the two of them together instantly had him rock hard.

"Can I have my phone back now?" Frisk grumbled, as he held his hand out impatiently.

"Can you send this to me?" Koga urgently whispered.

"Not on your life."

"Please?" Koga growled. "I'll even pay you…."

"I could have it enlarged and hang it on our wall at home, if you'd like." Kagome's voice sweetly whispered, next to Koga's ear. "But, I thought pictures of ex's were forbidden."

Koga involuntarily jumped.

The spooked movement had him falling backwards in his chair and onto the floor. In his tumble, he landed flat on his back with Frisk's phone held safely over his head.

 _You managed to save the phone._ Kagome realized, in disbelief.

Koga struggled to quell his frantically beating heart. He had become so enthralled in the fantasy that he was playing out in his head while trying to memorize the woman in picture, that he had not smelt, heard, nor felt Kagome approach him from behind.

His sharp instincts had completely abandoned him.

When Koga made no effort to move, Kagome swiftly shuffled into his vision, gently hovering over him and reaching her hand out to help him up.

"What were you just thinking about, babe?" She asked innocently, as Koga reluctantly took her hand and she helped him to his feet.

Koga stared at her guiltily, his face flushed and his eyes wide in shock.

Kagome shook her head and leaned over to his ear.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." She said honestly, as she patted his chest over the sound of Frisk's roaring hysterical laughter in the background. "It doesn't bother _me_ in the slightest." She swore.

"I'm sorry…." Koga sputtered. "I wasn't trying to…."

"I know, baby. I promise you, it really is okay. Don't worry about it." She soothed, as she took the phone out of his hand and passed it over to Frisk.

"But…."

"Fang, stop talking now." She ordered, as she instantly became dead serious. "I need to fill everyone in on the latest news about The Order." She said quickly, as she began to wave the rest of her team over to her.


	32. Chapter 32

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 32

"So this machine can not only purify demons, it can also harm the gifted?" Frisk nervously asked, as his steel gaze held Kagome's.

Alpha Team was currently huddled around their leader, listening to her update them on the current and dire situation with The Order, while Lucian's pack began to reenter the dining cave in preparation for first meal.

"Yes. The General will be keeping me posted as additional information becomes available. It appears that The Order is interested in testing the device here, in Norway." Kagome advised.

"That is because of what Lucian did to the humans here." Mystic realized, as she angrily sucked her teeth. "What a freaking mess."

Kagome nodded to her, encouraging her, and the remainder of their team, to fully absorb the gravity of the situation.

"Everyone in this country is in great danger, demon and gifted beings alike." Kagome advised.

"This is unbelievable." Koga grumbled. "That they would go this far to make something so catastrophic is absolutely unbelievable."

"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Terrain asked.

"We are to stay put until R.O.O.T is able to finalize negotiations with the government. Apparently, the Prime Minster would like to meet with Lucian to hash out the details on the proposed peace treaty."

"You're kidding? That's great!" Frisk admitted. "They're actually taking him seriously!"

"They are, and this could finally lead to the much sought out protection of the wolf population here. An endangered species might actually be able to freely exist in this country. This meeting is unprecedented and is of utmost importance. We have to ensure that it actually gets a chance to happen." Kagome said, softly.

"And ensure that Lucian somehow behaves himself while it does." Koga grumbled, as he tried to picture Lucian meeting with the Norwegian Prime Minister.

"More so than that, we have to somehow make sure that The Order doesn't bring their new toy here and inadvertently harm any gifted humans in the process. If they do, Lucian's wolf demons are going to get blamed and it would cause a giant uproar in this country. If that happens, peace talks will be off and Lucian's wolf demon population might suddenly find themselves on the government's hit list." Kagome said, thoughtfully.

"That is, if the human population doesn't try to take matters into their own hands and take them out first." Koga grumbled.

"How long does Sesshomaru think it will take to organize a meeting between Lucian and the Prime Minister?" Trace questioned, his brows furrowing in thought.

"I have no idea." Kagome sighed. "It could be a few hours or it could be a few days. He's going to call as things move along. So as I get information, I will continue to brief all of you." Kagome advised. "The good news is that Sesshomaru has arranged for the transport of the personal effects that we left behind on the plane. Our things will be brought to this mountain area by helicopter. We will also be provided with two days' worth of portable energy sources so that we can charge our electronic devices while we are here. Everything should arrive within two hours."

Kagome noticed that her entire team instantly brightened with this news.

Especially Koga.

 _Once he gets his toothbrush back he's going to eat all the raw meat in sight._ Kagome realized, as she studied her mate's beaming face.

She had to admit she was also grateful for the news regarding their personal effects. As she wasn't carrying her bonding scent on her, she had been afraid to bathe while she was here. With the delivery of her bag, she would once again have access to her precious scent and would finally be able to do so.

Speaking of bathing, she had to find out specifics on if such a thing was even possible within the mountain.

Lucian's abrupt arrival into the cave instantly pulled her away from her silent musings.

It also signaled the start of breakfast.

The moment that Lucian seated himself, Alpha Team dispersed and took their seats at his table.

Kagome was grateful that Lucian wasted no time in eating. All of the chaos that erupted earlier that morning had delayed the meal. At this moment, she was starving. She didn't even mind so much that the majority of the food was meat.

She happily pulled what she could from the cooked platters and tried to ignore the raw and pale plucked goose that Koga was pulling onto his own plate from his seat at her left.

 _Yep. Now that he knows his toothbrush is coming, he's not holding back._ She realized. _Now, I have no excuse with which to stop him with, either._ She mentally grumbled.

She tried to ignore the sound of splintering bone and crunching ligaments that were coming from her left, while Koga hungrily worked the bird over with his claws and teeth.

She had managed to get through most of her plate before the sloppy chewing, popping and swallowing sounds had become too much for her.

"Trade seats with me." She whispered, as she leaned to her right, in the direction of Frisk's chair.

"Nope. If I take one look at what's he's doing over there, I swear I'm going to throw up."

"You owe me!" Kagome hissed.

"But I'll get sick!"

"I don't care. Better you than me!"

"Oh come on."

"Move." Kagome bit out. "That's an order!"

Frisk huffed and stood up, quickly switching seats with Kagome.

"Why are _you_ here?" Koga grumbled the moment that Frisk sat down, while he worked to suck several pieces of goose muscle away from sinew within his mouth.

Frisk refused to turn his head in Koga's direction.

"Because I am being punished." He answered, as he shot Kagome a dirty look. "Obviously."

"For what?" Koga asked curiously, as he swallowed.

"God help me." Frisk whispered, as he closed his eyes in silent prayer.

"Is this about the picture?" Koga nervously wondered, as he shoved the bird's thigh bone into his mouth and cracked it in half with his molars. He then furiously worked to suck out the bone marrow within, making a loud slurping sound as he did so.

Frisk immediately gagged.

The sound set of Kagome's gag reflex as well.

"I'm sorry, Rai. Write me up for insubordination if you have to. I can't fucking do this." He grumbled, as he immediately stood up and took off for the far end of Lucian's table.

"What the hell is going on?" Koga demanded, as he focused his attention on Kagome.

His mate would not turn to look at him. Instead, she had her eyes focused intensely on her plate and her hands were covering her ears as she did so.

Against his better judgement, Koga scooted over into Frisk's abandoned seat and studied her.

Her face was scrunched up in disgust and her eyes were watering.

"You're upset." Koga whispered, as he tried to figure out what exactly was wrong. "Is this about the picture?"

When Kagome didn't answer, he pressed her further.

"Are you thinking about last night?" He asked remorsefully, as he attempted to wrap his arm around her back.

Kagome immediately jumped to her feet, avoiding the contact.

"Do _not_ touch me until _after_ you wash your hands." She squeaked.

"Huh?"

"You're covered in salmonella!" She hissed, as she instantly took off and grabbed the seat alongside of Frisk at the very end of the table.

 _"Is everything alright?"_ Aslaug growled, as she watched Kagome go.

Koga sighed.

 _"My mate apparently has a very low resilience for raw food."_ He mumbled, as he watched Frisk and Kagome dry heave in unison at the end of the table.

 _"Were the cooked options not satisfactory?"_ Aslaug wondered, as her eyes scanned the food upon the table.

 _"That's not it."_ Koga grumbled, as he watched Kagome and Frisk begin to speak animatedly with one another before erupting into a fit of hysterical laughter.

Koga tore his gaze away and shuffled over to his former seat next to Aslaug.

 _"Do you miss living in a society such as this?"_ She asked him openly, as he finished the goose that he had previously been working on.

 _"I really do."_ Koga admitted between bites. _"Don't get me wrong, I love how simplified life has become with the use of technology, but I really do miss living in a pack such as this as well. The fact that your people have managed to survive in this way without ever having to assimilate into human society completely blows my mind."_

 _"There was never a need to."_ Aslaug said simply, as she finished her plate.

Koga once again glanced over to Frisk's section of the table.

Frisk now sat alone and Kagome was missing from the table which prompted him to scan around for her. When unable to find her, he excused himself from Aslaug and took off towards Frisk.

"You are contaminated!" Frisk said the moment that he neared him, as he tried to dramatically shoo him away by flapping his hands.

"Where's Rai?" He asked, ignoring the motion and scanning the room.

"She went to take a nap." Frisk said quickly, as he involuntarily winced. "I'll be taking care of the helicopter's arrival so that she can get some rest. You've been put in charge of finding out where our team can go to bathe." He said, as he looked him over in disgust. "Seriously man, out of all the things to eat, you had to pick the bird." He grumbled, as he shook his head.

* * *

 _Closed for repairs._

Trinity thought upon the sign that was recently hung over the entrance of the synagogue, as he intentionally held his gaze toward the ground.

From what he could hear, there seemed to be a flurry of activity taking place within the structure.

"Something's up." Inuyasha whispered, as he briskly led him to the door.

Trinity slowly entered and made his way to his assigned room. As he walked, he quickly noticed that the holy users that usually served as guards, were no longer at their posts.

"Amber was looking for you." Came a cheerful female voice from behind him, halting him in his tracks.

It was the voice of one of R.O.O.T's other infiltration agents. The holy user codenamed Mahdi, who was going by the name of Reza as her cover there.

"Why?" Trinity asked, nervously.

"She wanted to introduce _His Immaculacy_ to Fluffy." She said, stressing the title of their 'leader' as she studied him. "If you hurry, you might be able to catch them."

 _His Immaculacy was mingling with those of the congregation?! He finally came out of hiding?!_ Trinity's mind hissed.

"Come, I'll help you." Mahdi said quickly, as she grabbed Trinity by the arm.

Mahdi scanned around the hallway before she inconspicuously leaned into him, whispering her next words with obvious caution, as she led Trinity towards Amber's office.

"A helicopter came by here. It hovered overhead for ten minutes. None of us newbies were allowed to leave our rooms during that time."

Trinity's heart began to slam into his chest.

"How long ago?"

"It left fifteen minutes ago." Agent Mahdi whispered, before they arrived at Amber's door.

Mahdi quickly knocked upon the thick Birchwood door and only a moment passed before the door was hesitantly opened.

Amber studied Mahdi for a moment, before her gaze flew to Trinity and Inuyasha. Upon seeing the dog, she immediately brightened.

"Special delivery!" Mahdi said sweetly, as she smiled at Amber. "They just got back from the park."

"Hi, Richard! I must have just missed you!" Amber said happily, before she turned her attention to the female that had led him to her office. "Thank you, Reza."

"Anytime!" Mahdi said softly, before she turned and walked away.

"Come in, Richard! There is someone that I'd like you to meet!" Amber cooed, as she patted Inuyasha's head.

Trinity gently pulled at Inuyasha's harness, and he took off, slowly leading him into her office.

 _Blood._ Inuyasha's mind hissed, the very moment that he entered the room.

He quickly scanned around and searched for the source.

It didn't take very long for his nose to hone in on it.

Sitting in one of the large chairs that occupied Amber's office was a young man who appeared to be in his thirties. He had dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. He had broad shoulders and a medium frame. His face was angled and masculine, however his features were soft and the peaceful expression that occupied his face seemed to be a genuine one.

He held a large cup in his hand which was the source of Inuyasha's previously identified smell.

As Trinity came before him, the man instantly got to his feet.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Richard." He said, in a low and soothing timbre. "Welcome to our humble congregation."

Trinity leaned his head towards the source of the voice and held out his hand which was immediately taken in a firm handshake.

"I'm sorry. I believe I missed your name." Trinity rumbled, as the man released his hand.

With this the man chuckled.

 _I was super nervous about this guy at first, but he really is one hell of a freaking actor._ Inuyasha realized, as he watched Trinity in action.

"I am Rabbi Mikhal Stein. I run this synagogue. However, those who make up the private congregation that is secretly housed within these walls, call me, His Immaculacy."

Trinity immediately perked up.

"It is a great honor to meet you!" He said, with utmost reverence. "I can't believe this!" He exclaimed, happily. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Amber watched the exchange with a wide smile.

"I've heard a lot about your wonderful animal from Amber." Mikhal admitted, as he knelt down and studied Inuyasha. "He has apparently won over the hearts of our many members and brought some much needed joy within these walls. I wanted to express my gratitude personally." He said in earnest, as he rubbed Inuyasha behind his ear.

Inuyasha was fighting with everything he had to force his tail to wag from the contact. In reality, he wanted to bite the man's hand clean off.

"How are you two settling in?" Mikhal asked, conversationally.

"This place is huge. I'm still learning my way around. That's been my ultimate hurdle thus far." Trinity said, as he absentmindedly rubbed his head. "Otherwise, the people here have been very nice and I've been enjoying my stay."

"Please try not to feel discouraged. I'm sure the layout will come with time." Amber said, sympathetically. "But, I'm glad you're fitting in. It must be nice to finally be surrounded by your own kind."

"It is." Trinity said, as he took a deep breath. "It really is."

"That's wonderful. I'm glad everything is coming along." Mikhal said, honestly. "If all goes well, and your training progresses, we might be able to actively use your gifts towards our organization's mission." He said swiftly, as he took a swig from his cup. "We need all the holy users that we can get."

Inuyasha scrunched up his nose as he watched him.

 _Why the fuck is he drinking blood?! What the hell is wrong with this guy?!_ He internally shouted, in horror.

Mikhal finished off his drink and checked his watch.

"I apologize to cut this short, but I must go. I'm afraid I'm falling behind schedule." He said, quickly. "I'm glad I was actually able to meet you."

"Your bags are out front." Amber said softly to Mikhal, as she held her door open for both men to exit.

"Taking a vacation?" Trinity asked, on a chuckle. "Hopefully it's to somewhere warm and tropical."

Mikhal laughed.

"I wish. I could use a warm and tropical place after where I'm going." He said on a smile, as he strode out the door.

* * *

Koga had spent the next four hours of his newfound Kagome free time assisting Frisk with the arrival of R.O.O.T's helicopter and the movement of his team's light compact luggage. Not wanting to disturb Kagome, he left their bags in Frisk's room and made use of the remainder of his time by looking into the bathing situation.

He was relieved to find out that the wolf demons in this particular location made use of, what appeared to be, a slow flowing river comprised of ground water that ran through an area located beneath the base of the mountain.

The only two setbacks were that the river served as a unisex bath and the water was freezing cold.

And, the word 'cold' truly took on an entirely new meaning when in Norway during the winter, that was for damn sure. Koga actually found himself to be grateful that Lucian's pack was not located within the reach of the Arctic Circle as much of the northernmost part of the country was.

However, feelings for the cold aside, the need to disinfect himself for his mate was far greater than the need to stay warm, and Koga dove in to the small river without hesitation.

He immediately regretted his decision when he momentarily gasped for air due to the brief shock that the sudden change in temperature had brought upon his system.

It had to be the fastest bath that Koga had ever taken in his life.

After Koga was sure that he had scrubbed every inch of his body with soap, he quickly exited the water and made haste to towel himself off and redress before he thoroughly brushed his teeth.

Finally clean, he set off back to his room to check on Kagome.

He found her curled up into a little ball on the pile of furs that made up their bed.

Koga silently made his way over to her and lay down beside her, resigning himself to watch her sleep. He felt relieved when her body reflexively sought out, and cuddled into, his.

 _God, do I love this woman._ He thought to himself, as he looked over her serene face and his gaze fell upon her soft, pink lips.

He wanted to take them with his and he did not hesitate to do so, ever so gently.

Kagome lightly groaned in her sleep and the scent of her immediate arousal began to instantly trickle its way over to him.

As usual, his body instantly reacted, instinctually seeking to please her, leading him to gently deepen the kiss while he wrapped his arms possessively around her.

Kagome's eyes fluttered open as she looked upon his face from the clouded haze of sleep.

When realization dawned on her, she gently pushed Koga away as she remorsefully looked at him.

"Maybe another time." She whispered, as she rolled over and away from him.

"I brushed my teeth. I even took a bath. I'm clean." He grumbled, as he cuddled up behind her and began to trail a path of kisses down her neck, while he slowly ground his erection against her ass.

"That's awesome, babe. But, maybe another time." She repeated, dismissively.

Koga stilled.

Kagome had never rejected him before.

Never.

 _She_ was usually the one to initiate their intimate encounters with one another.

This was a first.

 _Have I misread her?_

Confused, Koga sniffed the air.

Kagome _was_ aroused. He could smell it. The scent was unmistakable.

"No problem. You should rest." He whispered, hesitantly.

"Thanks, baby. How long have I been out?"

"Four hours." Koga answered.

"Christ! Why didn't you wake me?!" Kagome huffed, as she sat up.

"You needed to rest. Don't worry, we're all just waiting around right now. You didn't miss anything."

Kagome fished her phone out of her pocket and checked her messages.

She was visibly relieved when she didn't find anything of importance.

"You wouldn't sleep through your phone ringing." Koga said soothingly, as he pulled her back down to the bed and into his arms.

"I doubt it. But I was so exhausted." She admitted, as she allowed Koga to rub lazy circles against her back.

"Why don't you try to go back to sleep?" He whispered, against her hair.

Kagome responded by kissing the space over his heart and closing her eyes.

"Kagome?"

"Mmmm."

"Is everything alright? I mean, I know everything isn't alright, but are you okay?"

"I will be." She promised.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" He whispered.

"Right now, no. Nothing is coming to mind."

"I know I sound like a broken record, but I really am sorry about everything."

"I know, baby. We'll get through it." She whispered, as she cuddled into him. "Did our bags arrive?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, everything is in Frisk's room." Koga grumbled.

"Thank God." She huffed, as she quickly sat up and took off towards the door. "Where did you bathe?" She asked him, curiously.

"You have to go to the lowest level of the mountain. The water is freezing cold, but it's the only option." Koga growled, as he made to escort her. "It's also a shared bath, Kagome."

"That part doesn't bother me as much as the cold is going to." Kagome admitted over her shoulder, as she took off into Frisk's room.

"You could at least knock!" Frisk grumbled, as Kagome barged into his room.

"Lock your door next time." Kagome said, on a chuckle. "I'm off to take a bath. In case you need me, I'll have my phone on me." She said, as she quickly grabbed her bag and exited the room.

"Wait! I'll come with you!" Frisk called out after her.

Once her suitcase was safely back inside of her own room, Kagome began to rummage through her belongings and grabbed a fresh set of clothing along with some of her toiletries.

As she made to exit, she saw the balance of her Alpha Team standing outside her room. All were clutching towels along with a few of their things. Apparently, Frisk had spread the word.

"It looks like we will be taking a team bath today." Kagome giggled, as she joined the group and looked expectantly at Koga.

"Lead the way, Fang." Mystic requested.

"The bathing is unisex and the water is freezing cold." Koga grumbled, as he studied the eager faces of his team.

The group blinked a few times and their faces fell in horror.

"God, this is going to suck!" Trace huffed. "I hate the cold!"

"Let's hurry up and get this over with." Frisk grumbled.

Koga hesitantly took off, leading his team to his recent underground discovery. Once there, Terrain scrambled to get over to the slowly flowing river and dip her hand in.

She immediately stiffened.

"This is fucking _freezing_!" She exclaimed, as she turned to meet the eyes of her team in dread.

The team jointly groaned as they made their way over to her and tested the temperature for themselves.

Several of the wolf demons that already occupied the water were watching them and snickering in the background.

Dejected, the team split up according to gender. The females took the northernmost part of the river for themselves while the men stayed put.

Kagome could feel Koga's eyes on her as she hurriedly undressed. She didn't have to look up to know that he was also scanning the faces of the river's male occupants, meeting their eyes in silent warning.

Once naked, all three women huddled together as they approached the water, slowly attempting to enter as one joint unit.

Frisk and Trace, on the other hand, jumped right in.

The resulting loud and high pitched screeches that followed had the women chuckling to themselves.

It took, what felt like hours, for the women just to make it up to their thighs. Once they did so, they forced themselves under the water and scrambled to quickly lather themselves and wash their hair over the loud sound of their chattering teeth.

Kagome inwardly cursed her long hair and the time that it was taking to wash it. Her hands were trembling as she worked to rinse her long locks while she violently shivered.

"I think I'm going to shave my head." Kagome joked.

"Me too." Mystic chuckled, as she frantically worked at her long silver tresses.

Kagome and the rest of her female flock had just finished rinsing themselves off when Kagome caught sight of Lucian entering the cave from the corner of her eye.

Her female companions seemed to instantly notice too.

All crouched down into the water, covering their naked forms as they silently watched him.

"We should get out." Kagome mumbled, although she made no effort to move.

Mystic and Terrain, who were now flanking her, nodded in agreement. Yet they too, stood frozen in place.

"Is he going to bathe?" Mystic whispered.

As if to answer her question, Lucian began to remove his many furs.

"Oh boy." Terrain whispered, as the site of Lucian's naked chest came into view.

It was impossibly chiseled and his defined muscles were noticeable with each of his careless movements. His black tattoo, which was made up of patterned interlocking swirls, swept down the entire left side of his torso, including his arm.

"I wonder how far down that tattoo goes?" Mystic mumbled.

"We'll find out soon enough." Kagome whispered in return, as she watched Lucian work to untie his pants and tried to ignore the light scent of cut wood and fresh earth that began to waft through the cave.

The women huddled closer together and silently watched. The water that had been freezing cold up until this point, suddenly, no longer seemed to be much of an issue, as a burning heat began to pump through their veins.

As Lucian's pants dropped to the ground, the women sunk lower into the water, covering their mouths with the freezing liquid and effectively using it to silence their reflexive squeals.

The man was _huge_ , which was saying _a hell of a lot_ , since it was quite cold in the cave to begin with.

Kagome popped up and tried to nonchalantly make her way back to the mouth of the river with her friends slowly following behind her.

"That tattoo goes _all the way_ down." Terrain purred, as she licked her lips and tried to divert her eyes.

Terrain was right. Lucian's tattoo swept down over the entirety of Lucian's lower body. The design stretched over his hips, his ass, his genitalia and his legs, ending at the heels of his feet. When naked, the detailed interlocking patterns of the tattoo formed the clear image of a snarling wolf. It looked like the beast was about to snap its jaws and take an angry bite out of Lucian's spine.

Kagome had always thought that Frisk was heavily tattooed, but he had nothing compared to the amount of ink that Lucian was flaunting.

"I have never missed Quake so much in my fucking life, as I do right now in this moment." Mystic drawled, as she walked.

Her words had the women giggling.

"Looks like Quake and Anatomy will be getting some provocative video calls from their ladies after this bath." Kagome joked.

With this the women laughed loudly.

"At least Quake is probably available. Anatomy is always super busy." Terrain grumbled, as she exited the water and began to towel off. "With my luck, he'll be in the middle of a surgery when I call."

The women hurriedly got dressed, with Kagome stopping to quickly work a fresh drop of her bonding scent onto her chest. When she finished, the small group crouched down to brush their teeth.

"You know Lucian's former mate, don't you Rai?" Terrain asked curiously, as she brushed her teeth.

"I do. She's now mated to one of Fang's friends."

"By any chance, did you happen to find out if Lucian was any good in the sack?" She pushed.

Kagome laughed. "I was told that her current lover is much better than Lucian was."

Mystic and Terrain stopped what they were doing and stared at her in disbelief before turning their heads in unison to look upon Lucian one more time.

The man was currently in the water up to his chest and he was quickly working the braids out of his long silver hair.

"Can we meet her new mate?" Mystic whispered. "I can't even imagine someone even better than _that_ guy."

Kagome choked on her toothpaste as an image of Ginta, flashing her a toothy grin, came into her mind.

"He has a beautiful and loving soul." Kagome said, honestly.

Mystic snorted. "Not much of a looker is he?" She realized. "Anyone that starts off by describing a man's 'wonderful personality' or his 'beautiful and loving soul' is hiding something about his appearance."

 _You don't know it ladies, but you both actually saw him… once._ Kagome's mind whispered.

"I guess it just comes down to preference." Kagome admitted. "He's not bad looking. He's just not my type."

"That guy…." Mystic whispered, as she nodded towards Lucian. "…is _every_ woman's type."

"Some men's, too." Terrain whispered. "My brother is probably having a heart attack right now." She said, as she shook her head.

 _Koga probably is too, but for a much different reason._ Kagome's mind warned, as she quickly finished up.

"I never knew that Trace was gay." Mystic whispered, as their female team walked over to the area where they left the men. "Why is he so private about that?"

"He wouldn't be private about anything if it weren't for Frisk. He doesn't want him to tease him about it." Terrain said, honestly.

"Trust me, he wouldn't _ever_ go there." Kagome promised. "Frisk believes, as I do, that everyone is born exactly how they were meant to be and that all sexuality should be celebrated. He'd actually be really supportive about it. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No. Just pretend you don't know." Terrain said quickly under her breath, as they approached the dressed men in their group.

Frisk was shivering as they approached and Trace was as well. However, he sported a bright blush across his cheeks and he was widely smiling.

Koga suspiciously looked the women over as they joined his group before silently taking off to lead the team back to their rooms.

The moment that he and Kagome reentered their room, Koga quickly closed the door behind them and was instantly on her.

His lips were dominantly locking down upon hers and his ministrations upon her mouth were scorching hot and so desperately needy, that they stole her breath away along with most of her sanity.

This time around, Koga expertly ensured that his mate wouldn't be able to muster much of a protest.

"I want you." Koga said in a low and demonic timbre near her ear, as he hurriedly broke the kiss. "I want to lose myself inside of you, Kagome. Let me love your body." He rumbled seductively, as he took a deep draw of her scent while his own scent began to possessively wash over her.

 _My presence near a very naked Lucian obviously threw Koga into a possessive fit just now._ Kagome realized.

Before Kagome could respond, Koga was peeling her clothes away from her while simultaneously working to remove his own. It only took several seconds before he was on his knees before her and he was hungrily sucking upon her sex while his hands kneaded expertly over her bare breasts.

His actions rewarded him with a low and needy groan ripped from deep within Kagome's throat.

"Baby, I don't think we should…." Kagome sputtered, before she felt Koga snake a single finger inside of her.

She instantly bucked against him.

"Should what?" Koga whispered, as his breath gently coasted over her engorged clit that he had so happily been sucking away at.

"Do this." Kagome groaned, as Koga gently snaked a second finger inside of her and she shuddered.

"Why?" Koga growled, as he began to roll his fingertips gently over her G spot.

Kagome struggled to speak against the fiery heat that he was working into her body.

"You seem to be truly enjoying this." He whispered seductively, as he coasted his tongue over her pulsing clit. "I can smell your desire for me." He growled, as he once again began to suck on her most sensitive place. "I can even taste it, baby." He whispered against her.

"I… We… Fuck…" Kagome moaned, as her body began to tighten.

"Let me _please_ you, baby." Koga whispered, as he gently nuzzled her clit with the tip of his nose.

As Koga's words reached her ears, familiar echoes of recent worries immediately flooded into Kagome's mind.

 _"…maybe he did things that he really didn't want to do because he was afraid that he wouldn't somehow be able to please me…"_

 _"I may have felt a little uncomfortable and nervous at times with you, but I always pushed passed it because, deep down, I wanted to try to please you…."_

 _"I know that you instinctually need to please Rai."_

"Stop." Kagome commanded, as she reached down and pulled Koga's face away from her so that he was looking up at her face.

Koga stared at her in shock.

"I think we should wait a while until we are intimate with each other again." She said, through ragged breaths.

"What?! Why?!" Koga stammered, as he gently withdrew his fingers from inside of her and instantly got to his feet.

"Because I think I'm going to be left with a massive guilt complex if we don't." Kagome admitted. "Everything that was said and realized between last night and this morning is still pretty fresh in my brain."

"I don't understand." Koga said worriedly, as he searched Kagome's face. "I can smell your desire for me. You are enjoying this." He said, in confusion.

"Of course I am. I enjoy everything that we do, I really do. But the same can't always be said for you. Unlike you, I can't smell how things might be affecting you sexually. I can't even try to use our spiritual connection to determine anything, because it sedates you and it makes you complacent. Until I can somehow figure out what your limits are, I honestly don't want to do this, Koga." She said, sadly.

Koga's mouth dropped in horror.

"I don't have any limits when it comes to you." He said, hurriedly. "Anything you want, I'll do." He promised, as he gently took her mouth with his.

"That's the problem, Koga." Kagome said softly, as she gently pushed away from him. "I don't want a devoted sexual servant. I want a mate who has his own desires and feelings. I want to know exactly what _you_ do and _do not_ want to do. Until you can _honestly_ tell me what those things are, I won't be able to truly enjoy myself with you."

 _My wellbeing is more important to her than her own satisfaction._ Koga's mind whispered.

The realization stunned him and he struggled to shake a flood of recently unburied memories of Ayame berating him out of his head.

"I won't share you." He said, quickly. "Ever." He growled. "But honestly, I'm open to anything else."

"That's a pretty vague statement." Kagome huffed.

"As things come up, I'll let you know." Koga promised. "That's the best I can do. Everything that we've done so far in this relationship, I would fully enjoy doing again." He swore. "Often." He purred, as he ground his hips against hers. "And I _truly_ enjoy it when you cum in my mouth, baby. I really do." He rumbled, as he dropped back down to his knees before her.

He realized that he had somehow failed to convince her when Kagome dropped down to her knees as well.

"Nice try, but I'm being serious, Koga." She said, as she held his eyes.

 _Oh, for God's sakes!_ Koga's mind hissed, hating the fact that he had expertly created this situation in the first place.

"I swear to you that the things that we've already done are one hundred percent okay with me." He swore. "All of them."

Kagome seemed to ponder this.

"Is there anything that you would like to try?" She wondered, curiously.

"No." He answered, robotically. "I'm happy with our sex life."

"That's the thing, babe. Trying new things doesn't mean that you are unhappy." Kagome sighed.

Koga blankly stared at her.

"I don't really know what to try, to be honest."

"Here we go, Koga the virgin, has graced us with his presence." Kagome said, sarcastically.

"Actually…." Koga trailed off, as he studied her expression. "…there is something." He whispered, as he flushed.

"What is it?" Kagome asked quickly, as her face brightened.

"Lie down. I want to look at you, baby." He grumbled, as he pulled her to him and carried her off to their bed, lying her down with utmost care.

"Um. Okay? What would you like me to do?" She wondered.

"I want you to watch me." He growled, as he knelt in between her legs and slid his fingers over his cock while holding her eyes.

"Wait. No!" Kagome sputtered, as she tried to sit up. "This is one of the things that made you uncomfortable." She said, angrily. "Can't you come up with something that YOU actually want to do?" She asked, suddenly exasperated.

"I _do_ want to do this." He soothed, as he gently pushed her back down upon the bed. "And when I finish, you're going to drink it down. All of it." He commanded.

 _Yes, Sir!_ Kagome's mind responded, as she silently nodded to him in agreement.

She resigned herself to watching Koga slowly work himself over while hungrily sizing her up before the man closed his eyes and rolled his head back.

Kagome found that she had a very strong assumption as to what brought on this particular experience and what Koga was probably thinking about right now.

 _Behind closed eyelids, Koga watched on as agent Sleeper took Kagome's mouth with her own._

 _The wolf demon version of his mate was naked and flushed, and the naked purple haired woman that was lying on top of her, was running her hands over her heated flesh while hungrily exploring Kagome's fanged mouth with her tongue, her hips pumping wildly against her as she did so._

 _"Fuck. More." Kagome mewled, as she broke the heated exchange of their mouths._

 _The plea caused Sleeper to giggle and shuffle down Kagome's body, swiftly taking one of her hardened nipples with her mouth while kneading at the other._

 _Kagome arched into her and the room was filled with the sounds of desperate female moaning and heavy breathing._

 _Koga watched on as Sleeper shuffled down lower on his mate's body and gently kissed her sex. The motion had Kagome bucking up against her in an instant._

 _"Do you like this, baby?" Sleeper cooed, as she ran her fingers across Kagome's slick velvet folds._

 _Kagome moaned in response._

 _Sleeper slowly flicked the tip of Kagome's clit with her tongue before gently sliding two of her fingers inside of her._

 _Kagome groaned loudly, before she turned her head and met Koga's gaze. "Please." She pleaded to him, with hungry crimson eyes. "I need you, Lord Koga." She whimpered in a seductive demonic echo, as she outstretched her clawed hand to him._

 _Koga did not hesitate to come straight to her side and take her hand with his._

 _Sleeper chuckled as she palmed Kagome's ass and roughly rolled her onto her side while hungrily sucking at her clit while she did so. Kagome's free hand instantly wound itself roughly into her purple hair, pulling the woman closer to her._

 _Kagome moaned and shuddered as she held Koga's eyes, sliding his hand down her ass as she did so._

 _"I want you inside me." She begged, as she tightened his hold on her rounded cheek, forcing him to slightly spread her and understand her meaning._

 _Koga immediately pounced on her, taking her mouth with his as he took his place behind her. He roughly grabbed her hip and pushed the head of his slick manhood against the tight puckered skin of her backside._

 _As Kagome groaned into his mouth, Koga traced her sharp, elongated fangs with his tongue and pinched the hardened buds of her nipples. All the while he demandingly pushed himself inside of her as he did so._

 _She was so impossibly hot and tight, and her inner walls were providing him with so much blessed resistance that he was soon completely mindless. Several frantic thrusts later and Koga was completely filling her, while Kagome wantonly shuddered against him. As he roughly pumped inside of her, he could feel Sleeper's fingers twisting deeply within Kagome's core. The movement was gently coasting against his shaft from his separate place within her. The sensation coupled with Kagome's moans and the sounds of Sleeper hungrily sucking against his mate's clit, had him exploding forcefully inside of her…._

…And right down Kagome's throat.

Koga watched on through cracked lids as his mate, who was glowing within their shared spiritual connection, hungrily worked to lick, suck and drink down the heavy amounts of warm liquid that were shooting forcefully into her mouth as he pumped his hand over his shaft. Just when the ever abundant river of his seed ceased flowing, another orgasm would soon overtake him and he would explode all over again.

To his mate's credit, Kagome did not allow one drop of his offering go to waste. She caught all of it, obediently, until Koga's personal well went dry and he collapsed back onto his heels.

"Did you save anything for me?" Kagome purred, as she crawled over to him.

Koga chuckled as he pulled her into his arms and rolled them to his side.

"I just need a minute." He admitted, as he frantically tried to fill his lungs with much needed air.

"I hope you didn't use up all of your stamina on Sleeper." Kagome joked, as she placed a tender kiss atop his overexerted heartbeat.

She felt Koga stiffen in her arms at the mention of Sleeper's name which caused her to giggle.

 _I was right._ She realized, priding herself on her ability to figure out what had sparked the sudden change in her mate's behavior.

"I do believe that you just cheated on me." Kagome whispered, mischievously.

"Kagome…." Koga sputtered, as he tried to catch his breath and think clearly. "I didn't touch her…. It wasn't about her…."

"Him." Kagome corrected, as she sighed. "But, don't worry about it. It's okay, baby. I'm teasing you. It's just a fantasy. It's not real." She whispered, as she nuzzled against him.

"How did you know what I was thinking about?" He asked, stupidly.

"Call it a lucky guess." She teased. "Can you tell me about it? So, I can share in the fantasy?"

"It was all focused around you." Koga growled, now feeling completely off kilter. "We were both having our way with you."

"Oh, really? How?" Kagome asked, curiously.

Not ever wanting to lie to her, and because she _clearly_ asked, Koga took a deep breath and unsteadily gave her a quick synopsis of his fantasy. As he did so, Kagome began to grind her hips against him.

"Is this turning you on?" Koga spat, in disbelief.

"I'm way past the point of turned on after the little show that you just put on for me." She admitted, as she reached down in between her legs and began to touch herself. "And after hearing about what you were just envisioning, I'm afraid I just can't wait for you." She said huskily, as she began to thrust against her hand.

"Unbelievable." Koga mumbled under his breath, as he watched her eyelids flutter closed and a big, stupid grin instantly crossed her face.

On a huff, he pulled her hand away from its frantic ministrations against her clit and replaced the contact with his thigh.

Kagome immediately bucked against him and he instantly took her mouth and began to run his hands over her body.

Kagome roughly ground herself against him during their frantic kisses. At some point, her hands reached upwards and fisted into his hair.

Through the spiritual connection that engulfed them, Koga felt Kagome's orgasm rip through him. He hastily broke his mouth away from hers just so that he could watch her.

Kagome shuddered several times and called out his name on a low moan. She was flushed and covered in a fresh sheen of sweat. She looked impossibly serene and sexy, and incredibly satisfied.

"Do I even want to know what _you_ were imagining?" Koga whispered, as he kissed her forehead.

"Probably not." Kagome huffed, as she tried to catch her breath.

"Lucian?"

"And us."

"Was he inside of you?" Koga growled, hating himself for asking.

"No baby, only you were. Lucian was inside of _you_." She purred. "And you loved every fucking minute of it."

"You're really into that." Koga grumbled, but this time, he found that he didn't feel as threatened by Kagome's imaginings.

 _What keeps bringing him on?_ He wondered, before he quickly answered his own question.

"I guess seeing the guy naked today helped you with some of your visuals." Koga grumbled.

Kagome cracked open an eyelid and smiled sheepishly at him.

"I knew it. There was no way you ladies weren't ogling him that entire time." Koga huffed, as he pulled Kagome possessively into his chest. "You stayed in that ice cold water way longer than I thought was humanly possible."

"We just wanted to see his tattoo." Kagome joked. "All of it."

Koga rolled his eyes. Not that he was looking, but he saw just enough to know that Lucian's tattoo covered most of his body.

He also saw just enough to know that Lucian was very… _blessed_ in certain areas. Areas that would not so easily escape the female eye.

"You're thinking too much." Kagome warned, as she studied him.

"I am." He admitted, as he took her mouth in a tender kiss. "But I'm alright with this. I promise." He soothed. "Lucian can make me his bitch as much as you'd like in your dreams because there's no chance in hell that it would ever happen in reality." He said, smugly.

"Of course not, _Lord Koga_." Kagome teased. "Just like there's no way in hell I'd ever share you with another woman in reality either… nor would I share you with any man." She admitted. "But we can dream about it all we'd like." She whispered.

Koga chuckled and swiftly rolled on top of her, his glowing crimson eyes studying her relaxed expression with reverence.

 _No one in this world compares to this woman. No one._ His mind whispered. _She openly accepts me, she desperately desires me, she furiously protects me, she patiently puts up with me and… she is so head over heels in love with me that it blows my mind. Nothing could sway this woman's devotion to me. Even in death, she will wait for me._ He acknowledged, as he gently pushed her long bangs away from her face and his bonding scent filled the air.

Kagome was staring up at him curiously.

Koga found that Kagome truly did not compare to anyone that he had ever come across in his very long life. She was his everything; his amazing lover, his best friend and his loyal and devoted true _first_ mate.

 _Since I've found her again, she's dedicated her time to slowly putting me back together; building me up, piece by broken piece. She's inspired me, she's revitalized me, and she has pushed me to be a far better and stronger man than I ever could have been without her help. She's never once given up on me or put me down. She's never once left my side, and she's never betrayed me in any way. Nor will she._ He acknowledged, as he looked upon her and allowed his love for her to overwhelm the small sliver of fear that was always hiding away inside his heart. _Kagome is everything that Ayame wasn't. Kagome could never be compared with her. Nor could she ever be compared with anyone else._ His mind whispered, as he memorized Kagome's beautiful face for, what felt like, the millionth time.

Kagome was about to ask him what he was up to when she felt him gently pushing himself against her slick entrance. The contact had her looking up at him in wonder.

"You should have waited for me." Koga huskily growled, as he lovingly smiled down at her. "I told you that I only needed a minute." He said, as he gently kissed her. "Fantasies are great, but they don't come close to the real thing, baby. I only want the real you. Always." He swore, as he slowly pushed himself inside of her, causing them both to loudly groan in pleasure.

* * *

"Why didn't you inform me of this sooner!" Sesshomaru's angry voice, boomed into the phone.

"This is the very first opportunity that I've had to call you!" Trinity hissed. "His Immaculacy, whose real name is Mikhal Stein, just left a few minutes ago!" Trinity nervously grumbled, in a muffled whisper.

"I will be in touch." Sesshomaru said quickly, meaning to end the call.

"There's more, General. Inuyasha tells me that this guy was drinking blood out of a large cup." Trinity whispered.

With this Sesshomaru paused in his frantic typing to his department heads.

"Blood? For what purpose?"

"That's the thing. I have no idea." Trinity rambled. "If that isn't bad enough, the guy's a damn rabbi!" Trinity stressed, by means of explanation.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to slam his phone down and end the call. Trinity seemed to assume that all people had the same insight into the world's many religions as he did. It was a most obnoxious trait.

"What prominence does the Jewish faith place upon blood?" Sesshomaru asked, through clenched teeth.

"Well, from what I know of the Christian Old Testament, which serves as the Jewish religion's Torah, blood is _not_ allowed for consumption. It can only be used as a sacrificial offering to God. By drinking it, he is directly defying his own religion." Trinity tried to explain. "Blood is the life of the flesh."

 _Blood is the life of the flesh._ Sesshomaru internally repeated, as a low grumble of warning gently coasted over his body.

"This man, from all the information that we've been able gather about him, clearly believes that his purpose to restore balance supersedes all religions. Of course his defiant actions would serve as a testament to that very belief."

"Yea, but that's the thing. He seems to pick and choose. I looked at his hands. He didn't have the symbolic seal. Everyone has that stupid seal on their hands, with exception to the new recruits here."

"Agent Trinity, if you do not explain the hidden meanings behind your idiotic ramblings, I will personally fly to Germany and slaughter you." Sesshomaru said, in an eerily calm voice.

"The seal that is placed upon the right hand of the fully fledged members of The Order appear as simple black tattoos to non-holy users. Tattoos in the Jewish faith are strictly prohibited." Trinity said, quickly. "He's not violating _that_ rule."

"He is a rabbi, Trinity. As a public leader of the Jewish community, of course he wouldn't prominently display a tattoo if it directly goes against his faith's teachings."

"So his Jewish faith does matter to him just as much as his secret organization does."

"In my perspective, protecting his public identity matters more to him than his faith and his private organization combined." Sesshomaru chided as he sent off an email to Sage, ordering him to pull all available resources in to investigate the life of rabbi Mikhal Stein.

Trinity sighed. "What are your orders, Sir?"

"You have mentioned that security inside of the synagogue has finally relaxed. You, and the others there, should take full advantage of it. Especially Inuyasha, as he now has a scent to work with. Have him track it." He said, in a low timbre.

"Yes, Sir."

With this Sesshomaru disconnected the line and placed an urgent conference call to his many department heads.

* * *

Koga didn't know how much time had passed as he lazily stroked his claws through Kagome's long, silky hair from his place beneath her. He was patiently waiting for her to come to after their most recent shared orgasm.

Since arriving from the baths, they had spent, what felt like, hours in an uninterrupted embrace.

When they weren't spending their time making love, they found themselves sharing silly secrets in hushed whispers and exchanging words of love and devotion.

Koga currently found himself wondering how the hell Kagome had libido that she did. Heck, he was mostly shocked that his body, as always, flawlessly managed to somehow keep up with her.

"Amazing as always, _Lord Koga_." Kagome whispered next to his ear, as she collapsed against his chest.

"You did all the work." He mumbled lazily, as he gently kissed her forehead. "But, thank you for the compliment."

Kagome smiled and gently nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"It's not a compliment. It's the truth. I can never get enough of you." She whispered.

"I can see that, _Lady Kagome_." Koga chuckled. "Believe me, it's a very much needed stroke to the ego."

"Trust me, your giant ego doesn't need any stroking." She teased, as she reached up and gently kissed him.

The kiss was interrupted by the sound of Koga's phone ringing, and on a huff, he rolled over to grab it.

 _Ginta?_ He thought, as he checked the caller ID.

"Hey, Ginta." He said hesitantly into the phone, as he held Kagome's eyes in silent warning.

"Hi Koga! What are you up to?"

"I'm busy.' Koga grumbled.

His words earned him a swift smack in the arm by his mate.

Koga cleared his throat.

"But, never too busy to talk to you." He corrected, as he threw Kagome an apologetic look. "What's up?"

"That's what I would like to know." Ginta whispered. "Is everything alright with sister Kagome?"

"Huh? Yes." Koga said quickly, as he eyed his mate curiously. "Why?"

"She's been calling Annika quite a bit." Ginta supplied.

"So what? They're friends." He replied, as Kagome placed her ear near the phone.

"I know they are. It's just, Annika always runs off to speak with her in private and after they hang up, she always… cries." Ginta growled. "I'm not sure what is going on because every time I ask, she tells me that it is a private matter between her and Kagome. Are they fighting?"

"Um…" Koga trailed off, as he struggled to come up with an excuse. "You could ask Kagome."

Kagome immediately scowled at him and began shaking her head.

Koga innocently shrugged at her.

"Is she around?"

Kagome rolled off of him and took off to the far side of the room.

"She just left." Koga growled. "I could ask her when she gets back."

"Thank you, Koga. Let me know what you find out about… Lucian!" Ginta shouted, startling Koga straight out of bed. "… stop throwing things at your sister! You two are too old to behave the way that you do!" He growled, agitated. "Sorry. Kids. You'll understand one day." He grumbled as means of explanation, before he said his farewell and hung up the phone.

Koga clutched at his frantically beating heart.

"What happened?" Kagome asked worriedly, as she looked upon Koga's tense form.

"Christ. I thought he figured it out. I completely forgot that his oldest son was named Lucian." He huffed, before he immediately narrowed his eyes in anger. "Wait. Wait a fucking second!" He spat. "She named THEIR first son… _Ginta's first son_ , after her former mate?" He shouted, incredulously. " _Seriously_?! The poor guy doesn't even know!" He growled.

Kagome's eyes widened in horror at the realization.

"I have no idea what she might have been thinking at the time."

"Keeping all of this a secret doesn't feel right, Kagome." Koga grumbled, as he rubbed his temples. "Ginta's my friend."

"I know baby, and I'm sorry. But, this is none of our business. I swore to Annika that I would keep her past a secret because Ginta didn't want to know about any of it. Unless Ginta asks her, it's not our place to involve ourselves."

"For his sake, I hope he _never_ asks her." Koga grumbled. "It would probably destroy him."

"How so? Ginta loves Annika and she loves him. Lucian is in her past, Ginta occupies her present and future."

"All Ginta has to do is take one look at Lucian. _One_ look, Kagome. That's all it would take to break him. Add in the fact that Annika named _their_ son after the man she once loved, which, I might add, is an absolutely unforgivable thing to do, and he'd crumble. She also raised a slew of children with Lucian, children that Ginta probably doesn't even know exist." Koga grumbled. "He would definitely have a nervous breakdown."

"I don't know, Koga. I actually think Ginta would be okay with it. He'd probably want their kids to meet Annika's adult children." Kagome said, honestly. "I don't see him holding that part against her." She admitted. "I'm not too sure about how he would react to knowing the meaning behind his son's name though. If he does get mad, that would probably be the only thing that he gets mad about."

"Ginta is a mated male, Kagome. Believe me, he's going to lose his shit."

Kagome sighed and Koga continued.

"There's no way he can compete with any of this. This is _Ginta_ for Christ's sakes." He grumbled. "Speaking of which. How the HELL did Annika go from the "God of werewolves' to Ginta in the first place?!"

"Koga!" Kagome shouted, angrily. "What a terrible thing to say! What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"What? There's no way you're not thinking the same thing!"

"I'm not thinking that at all! Ginta is a sweetheart. Any woman would be lucky to have him. He's physically not my type, but he seems to be Annika's. She bonded with him and has been by his side for a very long time. She loves him and is attracted to him, Koga. Their relationship with one another is not a competition! Annika's pairing with Lucian ended naturally many years ago and her instincts have bound her to Ginta since then. And between you and I…" She whispered conspiratorially, immediately pulling Koga's full attention in to her. "Ginta is _the_ best lover that Annika has ever had."

Koga stared at her with wide and serious eyes, before he erupted into a hysterical fit of obnoxious laughter.

"Koga…!" Kagome huffed, quickly losing her patience with him.

"How… In… The… Hell?!" Koga sputtered, as he dropped onto their bed and clutched at his stomach.

"It's true!"

No fucking way!" Koga roared. "There is no fucking way!"

 _If all those books that I've read have truly been based on Ginta's abilities in the bedroom, then Ginta is actually the true 'God of werewolves'!_ Kagome's mind angrily spat, as she watched her mate struggle to breathe.

"You're being a giant jerk!" Kagome huffed.

Koga's instincts lowly growled in warning at the anger that was ghosting over his mate's beautiful face.

He instantly sobered.

"I'm sorry. I just can't picture Ginta even having sex, let alone having more skill than that tattooed and testosterone infused monster that's been running around this place."


	33. Chapter 33

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 33

Lucian hesitated before the broken Birch wood door that stood between him and his newfound human aide.

Moments ago, his inner beast had begun to slowly growl in warning and he wasted no time in setting forth to attempt to bring the news to Kagome. However, as he arrived at her door, the scent that was wafting outwards from her room made clear the happenings that had been going on within, and for some reason, the knowledge halted Lucian's heavy hand mid-knock.

He stared upon the wood barrier for several moments before he decidedly turned to leave. However, as he took one step to exit the cavern, the enticing sound of muffled voices fell upon his ears.

And… the promise of secrets had Lucian quickly succumbing to his species' most prominent weakness.

Lucian immediately turned around, pressed his ear against the door, and tightly squeezed his eyes shut, honing his enhanced senses on the hushed sounds spoken on the other side.

 _"I completely forgot that his oldest son was named Lucian... She named THEIR first son… Ginta's first son, after her former mate?"_

 _"…I swore to Annika that I would keep her past a secret because Ginta didn't want to know about any of it."_

At this, Lucian's eyes flew open.

 _Anni named her first born from her new pairing after me?_ He inwardly repeated, in shock.

The revelation had him covering his free ear with his hand and pressing his entire body firmly against the door as the cracked wood lowly groaned in protest.

 _"All Ginta has to do is take one look at Lucian. One look, Kagome. That's all it would take to break him. Add in the fact that Annika named their son after the man she once loved, which, I might add, is an absolutely unforgivable thing to do, and he'd crumble. She also raised a slew of children with Lucian; children that Ginta probably doesn't even know exist."_

 _"…Annika's pairing with Lucian ended naturally many years ago and her instincts have bound her to Ginta since then. And between you and I… Ginta is the best lover that Annika has ever had."_

 _WHAT?!_ Lucian's mind roared, over the sound of Koga's unbridled hysterical laughter.

Could he have misheard?

Lucian greedily pressed himself further against the door.

 _"You're being a giant jerk!"_

 _"I just can't picture Ginta even having sex, let alone having more skill than that tattooed and testosterone infused monster that's been running around this place."_

As these words were said, a loud splintering sound sounded off in warning. Apparently, the previously damaged piece of wood was no longer able support all of the heavy werewolf weight that was currently being forced upon it.

If Lucian wasn't so engrossed in snooping, he easily would have been able to flee before the door split in two and landed him on the floor.

And the floor is exactly where he found himself to be as he stared up at Kagome and Koga from his new place within their bedroom. He was thankful that he had at least landed smoothly on his feet in a crouched pose instead of in a tangled heap.

As he inwardly prided himself on his unmatched reflexes, he noticed that both of the room's naked occupants were staring at him with wide, horrified eyes.

The silent staring contest seemed to continue for several seconds without either party making any attempt to speak, before all hell broke loose.

"Were you eavesdropping?!" Kagome screamed, as she scrambled to jump into her bed and hide her naked body within its many furs.

Koga didn't spare much effort for modesty. He instead held Lucian's eyes for a moment before his bonding scent whipped around the room in warning.

"Do not flatter yourself, _tiny human_. I attempted to knock and your door gave way." Lucian rumbled, angrily. "The door was obviously damaged, but it was not done so by me!"

Koga suspiciously narrowed his eyes for a moment before he turned and grabbed his pants, quickly putting them on.

"Did you need something?!" He hissed, as he grabbed Kagome's clothes and handed them to her.

"My instincts warn of great danger!" Lucian rumbled, condescendingly. "I will be outside." He roared, as he took off from the room.

As the king of the werewolves abandoned them, the shrill sound of Kagome's phone ringing diverted the couple's attention, prompting Koga to chance a glance at the caller I.D.

"It's Sesshomaru." Koga grumbled, thankful that Kagome was now fully dressed.

"Of course it is." Kagome said, as she bolted from the bed and answered the video call.

Koga took the hint and left the room, allowing her privacy.

* * *

"I have disconcerting news." Sesshomaru said in a stern voice, as he held Kagome's gaze.

Kagome sighed and held up a finger.

"Hold on!" She shouted, as she ran off somewhere.

Sesshomaru was about to lose his patience when almost a full minute ticked by before she came back onto the line. However, it appeared that she brought an audience with her.

Sesshomaru stared at the glowing teal eyes and long tusked teeth that slowly dipped down into the view of her screen.

 _Lucian._ Sesshomaru realized, as he tried to take in the size of the man.

From what he could gather from his position next to Kagome, the man was huge. Kagome appeared to only come up to the man's pectoral muscles.

A small wave of warning shot up Sesshomaru's spine as he studied him. It was both frightening and… incredibly exciting. He had heard much about this fabled demon in stories that were whispered only within the most elite demonic circles.

Sesshomaru shook his head and forcibly focused his thoughts back to the urgent matter at hand, choosing to focus on Kagome's face as he began to speak.

"Trinity has made contact with His Immaculacy, who goes by the human name, Mikhal Stein." He said, coldly. "Apparently, he is on his way to Norway as we speak. His machine was lifted from his synagogue earlier this morning. It is assumed that it is in transit to Norway as well."

"You're kidding?!" Kagome spat, as her features twisted in worry.

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to pull any intelligence on this man and we have no idea where in Norway he and his machine will be going or when he will strike."

"What do you mean you can't pull up any intelligence on him?!" Kagome asked, now on the brink of hysterics.

 _If His Immaculacy is coming to Norway, it must mean that the missing two members of his search squad were able to find one or more of Lucian's packs!_

"The Intelligence Department has been investigating for the past hour. The name that this rabbi is using is obviously an alias. The information that we have been able to pull up on a rabbi named Mikhal Stein, in association with the New Synagogue of Mainz, is a man that is clearly long deceased. It is obvious that His Immaculacy stole this rabbi's identity back in 2010 when the New Synagogue of Mainz was opened." Sesshomaru huffed, as he ran his fingers through his long hair in frustration. "In light of this fact, we expanded our search area to the entire country. Wraith, are you at all aware of just how many rabbis in Germany have the name Mikhal Stein?" Sesshomaru spat. "The only way to get through each of them was to scale back the search results based upon Trinity's detailed physical description of the man. The dozens of Mikhal Steins that did fit Trinity's description were then rejected upon Trinity's personal review of their photographs." He huffed. "Sage's group has also cross referenced the name with all outbound tickets from Germany to Norway and there were no matches. If the man is traveling by air or train, then he is using an alias."

"What about private planes? Do you show any leaving Germany today?"

"One hundred and fifty private planes are scheduled to leave Germany today. But, mind you, private planes observe different protocol than passenger planes do. They do not have to report where they are going. They only need to clear takeoffs and landings." Sesshomaru advised. "There is no way for us to know the final destinations of any of the planes that have already taken off, or those that are scheduled to take off later today."

Kagome clenched her teeth in frustration.

"That machine of his is on the move. Inuyasha told you that it looked like an airplane engine. If that is true, then the easiest and quickest way to inconspicuously move something so large would be by air. If we can't find out what plane it is on, or where it is headed, many people WILL die. We need to do something!"

"We cannot halt all incoming flights into Norway without setting off a global reaction. This is much different than closing a few airports behind the scenes, Wraith. Shutting down all airport systems within the country would not go unnoticed on an international scale. The media would be all over it and the Norwegian government would intensely react to such a situation. If Norway responds by locking down their borders, it could impede our organization's ability to easily enter the country to assist."

Images of dead wolf demons and gifted humans began to flood through Kagome's mind.

 _God damn it. There has to be something we can do!_ Kagome's mind screamed in panic. _Think, Kagome! Figure something out!_

"Tell me about the person whose identity His Immaculacy stole." Kagome demanded in frustration, as she tried to work her way through all that Sesshomaru had said.

Sesshomaru sighed as he pulled up the information related to the real identity of Mikhal Stein.

"Rabbi Mikhal Stein, the identity that is associated with the synagogue, belonged to a man that was born in 1894. The last dated photo that is associated with this particular person dates back to 1964 when he was seventy years old. There are no photographs after 1964. It is assumed that this is the year that he died, however we were unable to locate any record of his death." Sesshomaru advised. "Before you ask, we ran his image through the facial recognition software and did not receive any hits after 1964 either."

"Is there anything interesting to note about his life?" Kagome asked, curiously.

"He served as a soldier in the first world war. After his service, he became a rabbi serving the Frankfurt Jewish community. He never married and he had no children. In 1964 this man transferred over to the Nuremberg Jewish community, but there is no information on him after that time. He most likely died. His Immaculacy must have found out that a rabbi named Mikhal Stein did not have a death certificate and used it to his advantage years later. He then stole the man's identity and used it to take over the leadership of the New Synagogue of Mainz."

"That's it?"

"Yes. That is it."

 _What are we missing here?_

"Can you tell me about Trinity's description of His Immaculacy?"

"What is the point?"

"Just indulge me."

"His Immaculacy is a white man that appears to be in his early thirties. He has dark brown hair that is cropped loosely to his head, green eyes and a medium build. Trinity estimates that the man is about 5'8 and in the range of 180 lbs."

"Did he notice anything of particular interest about the man?"

"He seemed to be very genuine and friendly. He did not wear the signature seal of The Order on his hand as other full-fledged members of his congregation do. He also seemed to have quite the fetish for blood. Inuyasha confirmed that he had been secretly drinking it during their meeting."

"Blood? Are you serious?"

"Quite."

"Is _that_ what he's been doing with all the shipments of blood that his international congregations have been sending him?!" She wondered, in disgust.

Sesshomaru blinked a few times, finally making the connection.

"Most likely." He admitted, as he thought upon it. "However, we are not sure what the significance of such an action entails. It directly goes against his religion to do something so atrocious."

"He sounds more like a bat demon than a holy user." Kagome grumbled. "He hates the gifted and considers them to be unclean, yet he has no qualms about drinking their blood. What a disgusting piece of shit."

"Vampire?" Lucian rumbled, as he narrowed his eyes.

Lucian's fierce look and low angry voice gave Sesshomaru a moment of pause. However, his naturally aloof personality wasn't willing to let, what he considered to be, a clear misstatement go uncorrected.

" _Bat demon_." He stressed.

"It's the same thing, just a different word." Kagome clarified, as she shot Sesshomaru a look of warning. "In Japan we refer to them as bat demons. In Europe, they are called vampires."

Sesshomaru waved his hand, not bothering to split hairs.

"I'm afraid that if His Immaculacy were a bat demon, it would be most obvious to his congregation." Sesshomaru advised. "Holy users can instantly identify demons that are within their immediate proximity."

"In addition to that, His Immaculacy is considered by his own people to be _the most_ powerful holy user to have ever existed. Therefore, he's obviously demonstrated his powers before. I have no idea why this guy is into drinking blood. Maybe it is symbolic in a way?" Kagome guessed. "Maybe he believes he is purifying it by consuming it?"

"Blood is the life of the flesh." Lucian angrily rumbled, as he studied Sesshomaru.

 _This_ statement gave Sesshomaru pause.

"Explain what you know of such a statement." He demanded.

Lucian's head turned to the side as he evilly smirked at Sesshomaru, giving him full view of all of his sharp and jagged teeth.

"The blood of a vampire has the ability to temporarily reverse time for a human. It also, for a time, endows the human host with enhanced physical prowess and strength." He grumbled, mischievously. "However, such benefits are short lasting and must be dutifully maintained."

Before Sesshomaru could reprimand Lucian on his vague explanation, Kagome jumped in to help things along.

"All the evidence that we have infers that this man is drinking the blood of his gifted victims, not the blood of vampires. The gifted are special beings that have evolved due to the parings of demons and humans over time." She clarified.

"The _only_ reason a human would drink watered down _demonic_ blood would be to feed the previous short term effects of a vampire's powers. If this man is consuming weakened demonic blood, the blood of what humanity calls, 'The Gifted', he would require vast amounts of it to keep his aging at bay and his enhanced abilities strong." Lucian rumbled. "There is no doubt."

"Huh? I'm not following." Kagome sputtered.

"Your servant described a young man to you. Yet, the only portrait that you have been able to discover is that of an older man. Find a _youthful_ portrait of _that_ man. That likeness will be the person that you are truly looking for." Lucian said with great conceit, as he scowled at Sesshomaru.

Several moments of joint silence ensued as Sesshomaru seemed to ponder this.

Kagome was relieved when Sesshomaru turned away from them so that he could type an email, most likely to provide Sage with new directions.

"Would the effects of a full demon's blood starve off the aging process better than that of a gifted being's?" Kagome wondered, as Sesshomaru typed.

"Immensely. Depending on the strength of the demon, it could hold off the need for additional blood for weeks."

 _The Mirror Life was once used on Inuyasha in an effort to trap his human blood and turn him into a full-fledged demon. Now, according to this Amber lady, the power of the mirror is being reversed. It is now being used to trap the demonic blood of gifted beings and full-fledged demons."_

Kagome's eyes widened in shock.

"If His Immaculacy uses that mirror, he'll easily be able to trap all of the demonic blood that he needs going forward and he won't have to bother with the time consuming sacrifices anymore!" Kagome shouted, as the pieces of the puzzle began to slowly fall into place. "He will no longer need to settle for the watered down blood of the gifted. He'll now be able to quickly collect all the pure demonic blood that he needs to feed his requirement!" Kagome huffed, as she rubbed at her temples. "Not only that, but he'll be able to fulfill his group's purpose of ridding the world of the gifted. He'll be able to kill two birds with one stone!"

"A means by which to purify evolved humans?" Lucian grumbled to himself in wonder.

"Actually, come to think of it. That mirror that he's using _shouldn't_ harm the gifted. If it works the same way that it did five hundred years ago, it would most likely just trap their small quantities of demonic blood inside of it, turning them into normal humans."

"Most gifted beings would see the loss of their powers to be a fate far worse than death." Sesshomaru chided as he typed away in the background.

"However, full blooded demons _would_ be in danger. As all of their blood would be taken, they would surely die!" Kagome spat, becoming horrified.

At Kagome's proclamation, Sesshomaru tore his eyes away from his computer screen and focused them back on her.

"A most interesting theory, agent Wraith. However, we have no proof." He said, in a condescending voice. "I will not risk the lives of any our precious gifted agents based upon farfetched assumptions."

Before Kagome could push her conclusions further, a loud pinging noise sounded off in the background and Sesshomaru immediately turned to once again face his computer screen.

Kagome and Lucian watched on as he opened a photo file.

Sesshomaru stared at the photo for several seconds before he held his phone over it, so that Kagome and Lucian could see it as well.

The picture was a military photo that depicted a young man dressed in old style military fatigues. Based upon the date that was written on the photo, the picture was taken during World War I. The man in the picture very obviously fit Trinity's description of His Immaculacy.

"This youthful image of Mikhal Stein has been sent to agent Trinity as well." Sesshomaru advised, as he returned his video call to his desk.

Several short seconds passed before another ping sounded off and Kagome watched as Sesshomaru hurried to open the new email.

"It _is_ him!" Sesshomaru roared, as he began typing away. "Sage will run this image through all the airport databases. He will be flagged as terrorist. If airport security is able to find him, Intelligence will immediately find out."

"That is, if he hasn't already passed through." Kagome said, dejectedly.

"We will also run _this_ image through our facial recognition software." He stated triumphantly, as he looked over a newly received email.

"It appears that the youthful image of Mikhal Stein has apparently had a hit when run through H.A.V.O.C's database." Sesshomaru said with curiosity, as he pulled up a file.

Sesshomaru quickly summarized the file synopsis for Kagome and Lucian.

 _Name: Mikhal Stein_

 _Alias: His Immaculacy_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Affiliation: (Arrow Symbol)_

 _Organization: International_

 _DOB: 1894_

 _Status: Living_

 _Means of Death: N/A_

 _Description: (Arrow Symbol) Leader._

 _Strengths: (Arrow Symbol), unnatural stunted aging, enhanced strength and enhanced agility, celestial spiritual energy._

 _Weaknesses: (Star Symbol) (Red Droplet Symbol) reliance for life sustainability._

 _Directive: (Star Symbol) are to flee on sight. (Plus/Minus Symbol) are to kill on sight._

"I finally have an idea about what those arrow symbols mean now that we have some context around them." Kagome said knowingly, remembering how H.A.V.O.C used the same symbol to describe the means of Ayame's death.

"Agreed. The arrows symbolize _holy users_. Plus/Minus must mean _humans_." Sesshomaru realized. "And the stars must symbolize _demons_ within their records."

"I'd also venture a guess that H.A.V.O.C has been hunting this guy for quite some time based upon the amount of information that they have acquired on him, along with their directive for their demonic agents to flee upon sight and the order for human agents to kill him on sight." Kagome said, as she shook her head. "Apparently, when we took out H.A.V.O.C, we inadvertently took away this guy's natural enemy. That's why The Order has been going on a killing spree this past month. They don't have anyone hunting them down anymore." Kagome mumbled. "Shit."

"A most unfortunate turn of events." Sesshomaru whispered to himself.

"We need a plan. If His Immaculacy is on his way, then we need to put together a strategy immediately!" Kagome said, rubbing her temples.

"The obvious solution is to evacuate all members of Alpha Team immediately, with exception to you. Upon The Order's strike, R.O.O.T will react and wage war upon them, using human agents.

"But if we wait for that to happen, the wolf demons…"

Sesshomaru raised his hand silencing her obvious protests.

"However,…" Sesshomaru paused, as he became lost in thought. "…it has come to my attention recently that proceeding in accordance to the most obvious strategy does not always equate to utilizing 'the best' strategy. I would recommend fetching agent Fang and obtaining his opinion on this matter."

Kagome couldn't help but smile.

"I'll go and get him. We'll call you back."

Sesshomaru nodded and disconnected the call.

* * *

Kagome followed her invisible energy cord along the dark pathway as she set off to find Koga.

 _Where the heck did he wander off to?!_ Kagome wondered, as she walked along a twisting path.

After she had hung up with Sesshomaru, she attempted to round up her team. All were present in the guest quarters except for one very important wolf demon. As Lucian set forth to collect his children, her group followed after him, while Kagome broke away to collect their missing team member.

Over the course of several long minutes, she found herself inside of a familiar cave. As she entered, the eyes of several dozen wolves immediately focused on her. The numerous animals seemed to be lowering their heads as they curiously studied her.

"Uh oh." Kagome whispered, as she instantly froze.

 _Maintain eye contact!_ Her mind hissed, as she scanned around the room.

At the sound of muted growling, she threw up her shield and tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

As if to study her, several of the wolves took a few steps towards her and began to test the air.

 _They can probably sense my fear. Calm down, Kagome!_ She ordered, as she desperately attempted to search the crowd for Koga's wolves.

"Kiba! Tsume!" She hesitantly called out.

However, no wolves popped out in recognition of their names.

 _"Kiba! Tsume!"_ She tried again, this time in wolf.

She felt relieved when, off in the distance, Koga's two alphas stood up and made their way over to her. As the animals came to sit at her feet, they tilted their heads in silent question, awaiting direction.

 _Um. Now what?_ She wondered, hating her lack of fluency in her mate's language.

 _"Tsume. Get Koga. Fast."_ She growled.

Tsume studied her for a moment before chancing a glance over at Kiba. Upon the shared eye contact between the two paired animals, Kagome could have sworn they were laughing at her.

 _"Get Koga. Here."_ Kagome tried again. _"Help."_

At this point, the many wolves within the cave had begun to come closer and Kagome realized that the animals were slowly surrounding her.

 _"Please."_ Kagome begged, as a wave of nervousness washed over her.

Tsume finally stood up and began to slowly saunter out of the cave.

 _"Fast!"_ Kagome shouted over to her, as she took a few steps closer to Kiba, seeking his protection.

Kiba immediately laid down.

He seemed to be just as uninterested in helping her as Tsume was.

 _What the fuck?! I'm your leader's female! Dumb wolves!_ She thought, teetering on hysterics.

As several moments passed, and Lucian's clan's many wolves continued encroaching upon her, Kagome became desperate. She shut her eyes and focused on Koga's spiritual energy. Once she locked onto it, she pushed her fearful feelings through the connection.

Thankfully it had the intended effect.

Koga appeared within the cave in seconds, a small dust cloud marking his hurried arrival.

"Help!" Kagome roared, the moment that they locked eyes.

Koga's eyes narrowed as he studied the scene in the cave while Tsume leisurely appeared at his side. Once he completed his visual review, he took a deep breath and quickly made his way over to her.

When he got within a few feet of her, Kagome closed the gap between them and practically jumped him, throwing her arms around his neck tightly and holding herself to him.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Koga demanded. "Are you hurt?"

" _What's wrong_?!" Kagome repeated. "Are you fucking _insane_?! Look around you! I was about to be attacked!"

"By who?" Koga growled, as he tested the air.

"God damnit! By the wolves!" Kagome spat. "And _your_ wolves could have cared less! They were just about to let it happen!"

At this statement Koga paused and looked around.

The wolves in the den were testing the air and studying Kagome with curiosity. All were nonthreatening. Kiba appeared to be taking a nap while Tsume remained at his side and was yawning.

"You weren't going to be attacked. What the hell made you think that?"

When Kagome didn't answer, he realized that her heart was frantically beating against his chest and she was slightly trembling.

"Kagome?" He whispered gently, as he wrapped his arms protectively around her and held her tightly to him.

"What?" She said, angrily.

"Baby, are you…." He trailed off.

He couldn't believe this.

"Are you afraid of _wolves_?"

It was so uncommon for Kagome to ever seek out his protection. The purely masculine part of him truly reveled in rare moments such as these. However, the beast within was saddened that such fear could be brought upon by any of his own creatures. Hell, Koga _was_ a wolf. He just so happened to be the spirit kind that could take on a human form.

 _Come to think about it, the only other time that Kagome has ever sought out my protection was from Ginta's wolves._

"Kagome, you're shaking." He gently prodded, as his heart swelled. "You really are afraid of wolves, aren't you?" He said, sadly.

"Only, when there are so many of them." Kagome admitted, her tone was now both furious and slightly embarrassed.

Koga was about to ask if she were crazy. But if he learned anything over the past few months, it was that, sometimes, it was best to hold his tongue.

"Since when? Why haven't you ever said anything to me about this?"

"It's not specifically a wolf thing. It's just that, I'm walking through a large group of predatory animals and I'm all by myself. I would like to think that it's natural to be afraid. I _am_ a human, Koga."

Koga seemed to consider this for a few moments before speaking again.

"Does _my_ pack scare you?"

"No, I'm used to them and I always thought that they would protect me because of who I am to you." She huffed, before releasing her death grip from around Koga's neck and turning to address Kiba and Tsume. "However, _these_ two traitors could have cared less about helping me!"

Koga tried his best to stifle a chuckle.

"My pack will always protect you, Kagome. You were never in any danger, that's why these two didn't react in any way."

"It doesn't matter! When I first asked for help, both wolves laughed at me! AND when I asked Tsume to hurry, she took her damn time while Kiba fell asleep! These two clearly didn't give a shit! Zero fucks were given about my safety!"

At this statement, the laughter that Koga had sympathetically been struggling to hold back broke free, echoing throughout the cave.

"Stop laughing! This isn't funny!"

"How would you even know if Kiba and Tsume were laughing at you?" Koga said, as he tried to force his face into some semblance of seriousness.

"I could see it in their eyes, Koga. They _were_ making fun of me!" Kagome roared.

"Kagome…" Koga attempted, as he struggled to suppress another chuckle from his throat.

"Just like you are! Apparently, being afraid and asking for help is hilarious to both wolf demons and their wolves! I'll make sure to keep that in mind the next time that I'm about to die!"

"I'm sorry baby. I'm not laughing at either of those things. I'm laughing that you think _they_ were laughing at you!" Koga clarified, as he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Kagome scowled at him.

"Ask them!" She demanded.

Koga sighed and dropped his gaze to Tsume. He wasted no time in asking her what had happened and he was very aware that Kagome was intently studying him for a reaction as he did.

Tsume yipped a few times before lowering her head.

 _Shit._

Koga's eyes must have widened before he could help it because Kagome didn't miss a beat.

"You see! I knew it!"

 _I'm going to have to have a talk with these two._ Koga realized.

Kagome stomped her foot in frustration.

"Anyway! I was looking for you because we have an emergency on our hands! We have to meet Lucian in the meeting den so that we can discuss strategy. Can you track him down?" Kagome demanded angrily.

Koga immediately sobered and focused on Lucian's scent, pulling her down the cave's pathway and into the deep recesses of the mountain.

* * *

As Koga entered the large space that served as Lucian's meeting den, he couldn't help but feel impressed by the sheer size of it. It seemed large enough to fit a full passenger airplane within it.

 _This pack is huge._ He thought to himself, keeping in mind that all twenty six of Norway's packs were really under Lucian's control.

A long, rectangular metal table was positioned within the center of the room and all attendees of this impromptu meeting were already seated.

"What's the situation?" Koga growled, as he hurried to take a seat across from Lucian, with Kagome fast on his heels.

Kagome quickly took her seat next to Koga and nodded at Frisk, silently requesting that he translate for her.

The moment that Frisk acknowledged her request, she took a deep breath and recounted her earlier discussion with Sesshomaru, not sparing any detail. When she finally finished, her glance fell upon Koga's worried face.

"This man…" Kagome said to Lucian and his children, as she pointed to Koga. "…is a true strategic genius. My organization has requested that he formulate a plan of attack."

The gazes of Lucian, Fenrir, Thoren and Aslaug immediately flew to Koga.

"This is true." Lucian rumbled, as his eyes momentarily lost focus. "I have foreseen this."

Lucain realized that the conversation being had in this very moment was oddly reminiscent of the one he often saw in his dreams. In his visions, Kagome sat across from him at this very table and Koga was at her side.

 _That was the role that this man played._ He thought to himself, as long clouded portions of his dreams slowly came into focus. _Koga attended those meetings for the purpose of devising the battle plan._

"No pressure or anything." Frisk said, as he winked at Koga.

Koga rubbed his eyes in worry.

"How exactly am I supposed to devise a plan when we don't have any idea of where we will be attacked?" He huffed. "I have nothing to go on here. Nothing at all."

"I believe in you." Kagome whispered, at his side.

"That's not going to help me come up with something. I need some facts here. All we basically know is that His Immaculacy is coming to Norway. We don't know when, we don't know where, and we certainly don't know how many members of his congregation will be accompanying him, or in what capacity they will be assisting him. We also have a theory that his machine might not kill gifted humans, but would instead strip them of their powers." Koga growled. "I really have nothing to go on with this. The best I can suggest is an evacuation."

"How many werewolves make up your many packs, Lucian?" Kagome prodded.

"Fifty thousand." He answered quickly. "And more are born every day." He added with pride.

"Fifty thousand?!" Koga spat, as he threw Kagome a worried look. "I'm not even sure R.O.O.T will have the resources to move that many demons in such a short amount of time!"

 _What the hell are we going to do? Koga can't even come up with something!_ Kagome's mind roared, as she tried to center herself. _There must be a way. There is always a way, we just need to try to simplify this somehow._

This was a general rule of thumb that Kagome led by. However, even she found herself coming up empty in this given situation.

 _We need some facts or Koga won't be able to formulate a plan. But how the hell are we supposed to gather any in such a short amount of time? You'd have to be a psychic…_

Kagome blinked several times before her head swept over to Mystic's position at the table and then hurriedly in the opposite direction, to study Lucian.

 _BINGO!_

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Kagome said sternly, as she took a calming breath. "Do not succumb to panic. Let's dummy this down a bit, shall we?"

"Dummy it down all you want, Wraith. There's no way…" Koga stammered, before Kagome quickly cut him off.

"Agent Mystic." She said, in her most authoritative voice.

"Yes, ma'am." Mystic purred.

"Lucian has foreseen the attacks on his people in his dreams. He is obviously a clairvoyant. However, it appears that, much like with you, he is unable to recall many of the details upon waking."

Mystic turned her head in Lucian's direction and smiled warmly at him.

"Understood." Mystic replied, as she stood up and approached the werewolf king.

"This woman is a psychic and a clairvoyant much like yourself." Kagome explained, as Lucian met her eyes in question. "She can unlock your premonitions, and by doing so, you might be able to tell us where The Order will attack."

Lucian turned his gaze to the small, silver haired woman that appeared at his side.

"I'll only do this with your permission." She said, honestly. "I won't go where I'm not invited."

Lucian seemed to hesitate for only a moment before he acquiesced.

"What would you have me do?" He rumbled, as he held Mystic's eyes.

Mystic immediately flushed at the attention.

"All you have to do is close your eyes and focus on your dreams. I'll do the rest." She whispered, soothingly.

The moment that Lucian closed his eyes, Mystic took a seat on the table before him and placed her small palm against his forehead, closing her eyes as well.

"That's right, sweetie. Just relax. We'll make this journey together." She cooed, as her postured softened.

As Kagome watched on, she felt Koga squeeze her hand. She spared him a glance only to notice that he was giving her an apologetic look.

 _Don't worry about it. Solving problems is my thing. Coming up with battle strategies is your thing._ She thought, as she squeezed his hand in return.

"Hardangervidda!" Lucian roared, in the background.

The word brought Fenrir to his feet in worry and had Thoren and Aslaug exchanging worried glances.

"Shhh. Don't interrupt." Mystic whispered to their audience, as she held up her finger in Fenrir's direction.

Five more minutes went by before Lucian and Mystic both opened their eyes and Mystic gently removed her hand from Lucian's forehead. The two clairvoyants nodded to each other, before Mystic stood up and returned to her chair.

"The attacks will happen in Hardangervidda." He growled, as he flashed his teeth in anger. "This is Fenrir's territory." He continued, as his eyes flew to his eldest son.

"There is no way to tell when this will happen. But we do know that the attack will be launched during the evening hours." Mystic added. "And, from what we were able to see, it appears as though the device IS being brought to Hardangervidda by plane. There was a plane in the vision and a group of holy users, about one hundred strong, coming to the location on foot."

"Fang. This is the best that we can give you. What are your thoughts?" Kagome questioned, as she studied him.

"Give me a few minutes." He excitedly growled as he stared at the table, his eyes becoming unfocused.

"First and foremost, we're going to need air support ready to take down that plane." He stated.

"Negative." Kagome said quickly. "From what I understand, if we blow that machine up, it will take out demons within a ten mile radius. However, it could be much more than that. We really only have assumptions at this point on the reach of the machine. It's too dangerous."

Koga immediately processed this and revised his strategy.

"R.O.O.T will need to provide us with air support that is fully able to invade, and take over, that plane. Once inside, a specialized team must be ready to disarm the machine. If that is not an option, then a human pilot must commandeer the plane and fly it over the North Sea with the full intention of crashing it. Destroying that device is the number one priority."

Kagome nodded in agreement.

"What of the ground force?" Terrain questioned.

"If the machine is dismantled, then a ground force comprised of gifted and human agents can make short work of the holy users on the landscape. However, all wolf demons within the proximity must be relocated temporarily. This is imperative." Koga ordered, as he held Fenrir's eyes. "Have your people go to a neighboring pack. Go somewhere, anywhere, to get away."

Frisk jumped in with the translation as he noticed Fenrir's confusion.

 _"Go to Hallingskarvet, brother. We are the closest. You must join my pack."_ Thoren hissed.

 _"What is the distance between Hardangervidda and Hallingskarvet?"_ Koga questioned.

 _"Fifty four kilometers."_ Thoren replied.

 _"How many wolf demons make up your pack?"_ Koga now asked Fenrir.

 _"Two thousand."_ Fenrir growled.

"Fenrir's pack is comprised of two thousand wolf demons. Thoren's pack can accommodate Fenrir's pack and she is located only thirty three miles away." Koga translated for the group.

"That's a very short trip by plane. With two airbuses we'll be able to move the entire pack." Frisk said, thoughtfully. "That being said…" He continued, as his eyes became as hard as steel. "What time does the sun set here?" He questioned, his voice immediately becoming all military, as he looked at his watch.

"Three hours." Lucian spat.

 _"How fast can you get word to your people?"_ Frisk demanded, as his gaze fell to Fenrir.

 _"One hour."_ Fenrir barked, excitedly.

Frisk immediately popped up and got on his phone, speaking frantically into the receiver as he put in the request for two airbuses.

 _"Spread word NOW."_ Koga ordered Lucian's group. _"There's not much time in the event that The Order decides to attack tonight. Two planes will arrive upon Fenrir's land for transport. Ensure your people move quickly and do not give our comrades any trouble."_

Fenrir and Thoren nodded nervously before they immediately took off, exiting the meeting cave in a blur.

"Now, what about the battle strategy?" Frisk grumbled, as he hung up his call and once again took his seat. "What are our options?"

"From what Rai has told me, and from what I have seen firsthand, holy users don't excel at hand to hand combat. A simple team of armed non-demon agents should be able to easily dispatch a hundred holy users."

"And what happens if you're wrong?" Frisk asked, simply. "This Mikhal Stein guy was a soldier once upon a time. If he's rounding up a hundred holy users to wipe out two thousand wolf demons, I'm guessing that he isn't bringing a bunch of pussies with him. They most likely need to be able to physically protect his back."

Koga sighed.

 _He's right. We need to prepare for the worst and we need a plan B._

"We need a strong offensive line, I would say one hundred strong. A mix of those with attack based and protection based abilities should be hiding within Fenrir's den. Upon His Immaculacy's approach, they will be ordered to rush him. Subsequently, we should have another hundred agents hiding in the rear. These agents will surround His Immaculacy's group from behind, preventing any means of escape as well as lending their abilities to the melee. Snipers should also surround the battle area."

Frisk seemed to consider this. "Seems simple enough. What's plan B?"

"Support." Koga growled, hating what he was about to say next. "Holy user support must be on hand, as many as we can gather in such a short amount of time."

Frisk's eyes abandoned their hold on Koga's and flew over to Kagome who immediately jumped out of her seat.

"I'm going to call this in to the General." She said quickly, as she took off to the corner of the cave.

"Understood." Frisk said softly, before he threw a sympathetic gaze over to Koga. "Trust me. She'll be fine without you. Try not to worry."

Koga didn't respond, he instead kept his eyes downcast at the table.

"You do realize that you cannot step anywhere near that place, right?" Frisk pushed.

"I do and I won't." Koga stammered.

"I am _destined_ to go." Lucian rumbled, as he stood up to his full height.

"You'll be turned to ash…" Koga trailed off, before correcting himself. "Actually, you'll probably be fine. If His Immaculacy is the most powerful holy user to ever have existed, then you'll most likely be the only one that will be able to take him down."

Lucian smirked at the compliment.

"Just take care of her." Koga requested, as he held his eyes. "Whatever happens, promise me that you'll keep her safe."

"You entrust your mate's care to me?" Lucian grumbled. "I am not a savior. I live only to destroy."

"Then destroy any who would harm her." Koga countered.

"And what will I be given for this service, _little alpha_?"

"I would think that would be obvious. We are here right now to save your people from a war that you started. Keeping my mate safe on the battlefield is the least that you can do by means of repayment."

Lucian smiled widely.

"Payment for that particular service has already been decided." He growled, as his eyes twinkled in mischief and he slowly trailed his tongue over his right tusked fang. "The terms of which are those that belong only to your mate." He said smugly, as he strode out of the cave.

"What the hell is he talking about?"

"Don't worry too much about it, Fang." Mystic said knowingly, as she smiled. For the smallest moment, her eyes briefly fell upon Koga's left hand before flicking away again in Kagome's direction.


	34. Chapter 34

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 34

Agents Inuyasha and Divination hurried to board their private plane located within the Frankfurt Airport. As they entered the light aircraft, they immediately noticed the presence of three additional agents within, one male and two female. All were suited up in tactical clothing. One of the female agents wore a black hijab on her head and the other female wore a red Bindi at the center of her forehead. The lone male agent had a dog with him and was a most welcomed, familiar face.

"Hello again!" Divination exclaimed, as she approached agent Trinity and gave his dog a friendly pat on the head. "You look so much cuter without your harness!" She said sweetly, to the animal.

"Are you two off to Norway as well?" Trinity questioned.

"You bet your ass we are. This entire mission is hinged upon agent Inuyasha disarming that machine." Divination said worriedly, as she shot a glance over in Yuu's direction.

"Wow, that's rough. You're the techie that's going in with the airborne team then." Trinity realized, as he studied his girlfriend's brother.

Yuu huffed. He was already nervous as it was. When his department head, Gateway, briefed him on this mission, he seemed emotionally distraught. From what he understood, the General put up a very big fight just to have Yuu removed from it, but Gateway adamantly refused. The General then apparently threatened the Technology department's head within an inch of his life, but the man had stuck to his guns.

"I'll do my best." He promised.

"This will be your first time in an active battle, won't it?" Trinity questioned. "Don't worry about it, man. The first time is always the scariest, lean on your comrades for support."

"Keh. Is it that obvious?" Yuu grumbled.

"To me, yes." Trinity admitted. "Your aura is purple."

"Right." Yuu replied. "Whatever that means."

Trinity smiled.

"I'll explain it to you one day. But, in the meantime, I'd like to introduce you and Divination to agents Karma and Mahdi." Trinity interjected, as he gestured to the two women at his right, prompting shared introductions. "They were undercover at the synagogue with me and are powerful holy users."

"Before you ask, no, I am not a bitch." Karma chuckled, as she shook Yuu's hand.

Yuu found himself laughing at the obvious joke and the small moment was a most welcomed relief.

"There, much better." Karma said on a smile, happy that she was able to relieve a small fraction of the agent's apparent tension.

"I wish there were more of you." Yuu admitted, as he shook each of the women's hands.

"Does The Order know that you've all gone missing?" Divination asked Trinity's small group.

"If they don't know yet, they'll know come the morning when we don't show up for breakfast." Mahdi replied.

"I'm not sure if our defection will be worthy enough for Amber to send word to His Immaculacy, but it is a chance that we needed to take. R.O.O.T doesn't have many holy users, and we need to get to Norway for support." Karma said, seriously.

"Were you able to find out anything else about him?" Yuu asked, curiously.

"We used the General's dog to snoop around after His Immaculacy left. It turns out that he kept a private room on the uppermost floor of the synagogue that was always closed off. The door was locked upon inspection; however, we found that barrels of blood were being stored up on that floor. The barrels were left out in the open and there were dozens of them." Trinity explained.

"Out in plain sight?"

"Yes, you would only know what was in those barrels if you were to open them, or if you had a superior sense of smell." He advised, as he rubbed canine Inuyasha's head. "It is common for some places of worship to carry wine, so there would be nothing concerning about seeing vast amounts of it stored within a synagogue." Trinity explained, as their plane took off.

"Supposedly, we're going to be going up against one hundred holy users." Yuu grumbled, as he studied the three infiltration agents. "Holy users are practically an endangered species and many will be killed. Are you sure that you're all going to be able to fight against your own kind? "

"Our loyalties are to the survival and protection of all beings on this planet." Karma said, calmly. "That is why we work for R.O.O.T in the capacity that we do."

Trinity and Mahdi nodded at her words.

"But, killing others goes directly against each of your religions."

Mahdi held out her hand and grabbed Yuu's wrist.

"We understand that." She said, sadly. "Killing is a last resort. It's not something that we want to have to do. The act defiles our very souls."

"It is a burden that we choose to bear." Karma said, dejectedly. "If we must kill one in order to save many, we personally believe that it is a sacrifice worth making."

"You sound like those from The Order." Yuu spat.

"Not so." Karma said, quickly. "We are not blinded by the results of our actions. We are not choosing to fight for the sole purpose of eliminating a certain group from this word because _we_ don't believe that they have the right to live. We are making a choice to harm in order to protect, and we will have to live with our actions after that choice is made. We do not have to participate in this mission. Any agent at any time can reject a mission and R.O.O.T allows all of their employees to decide what they are personally willing to do. In contrast, The Order is based upon the beliefs of one misguided man who determined that gifted beings were not worthy to live on _his_ planet. Unfortunately, over the years, that man developed a large following and many innocent people have died as a result."

"The universe doesn't make mistakes." Trinity grumbled. "Everyone that is here is intended to be here and is precious; regardless of color, species, religion, sexuality and gender. No person in this world has the right to decide that any other person is unworthy of anything. To do so is disgusting and it is pure hate based discrimination. This bigotry is the true reason behind all of the wars, all of the hate in this world, all of the despair and all of the suffering. _No one_ gets to decide that there is something wrong with someone else because they are different. Everyone is intentionally born to be unique by the guidance of a higher power. Everyone is _supposed to be_ different. To be different is to be beautiful and that _is_ normal. To judge others is what is odd. That's what is shameful."

"There truly _is_ a balance in this world between all things spiritual and physical." Mahdi said, softly. "And gifted beings epitomize that balance. They are the direct result of the parings between humanity and the supernatural. They ARE the pure representation of the marriage between heaven and earth, life and death, physicality and spirituality. I wish I had the chance to sit down with His Immaculacy and speak with him. There is so much that I believe I could have taught him." Mahdi swore. "That symbol of his that his followers so proudly boast upon their hands, it _is_ the representation of _gifted beings_."

* * *

Twenty one hours.

It had taken twenty one hours for Mikhal to drive from Mainz, Germany to Bergen, Norway.

He thanked a higher power for his enhanced stamina which allowed him to continue on without taking many breaks.

He now found himself in the town of Haukeli in a traffic hub, awaiting the arrival of his fleet.

 _History will be made on this day._ He thought happily to himself. _If this machine works, I can finally restore balance on a large scale and easily feed the flesh._

The thought brought him great relief.

Many years ago, he had become wise to rumors circulating around about a powerful female demon that was terrorizing humans within the Romanian city of Brasov. Based upon the descriptions of the woman, she seemed to fit the profile of a demoness named Denisa that he had attempted to battle on several occasions in Germany. However, each time that he tried to engage this woman, she would immediately disappear. It was as if the woman had the ability to teleport from one place to the next. Upon the news of this demoness surfacing in Romania, and regardless of his then elderly state and his failing health, he set forth to purify her in an effort to protect the humans living within the city.

Upon his arrival, the human occupants of the city of Brasov warmly welcomed him into their midst and he was treated like a savior, openly celebrated by all. He was provided with housing and food in exchange for his services to the people.

Mikhal warmly accepted both with genuine gratitude.

However, it was only when he had eaten the presented kosher food that had so eagerly been gifted to him, and the hidden poison within it took effect on his system, that he realized he had been duped.

As the poison took effect, and he struggled to take his last breaths, he felt a familiar demonic presence enter his small room.

"My blood can save you." The gentle voice, promised. "All you need to do is ask."

The situation he found himself in had clearly been planned by Denisa in alliance with the very humans that Mikhal had set out to protect.

As he cursed his circumstances and his blind faith in others, he weighed his options. He could die and his vision could die alongside him. Or he could choose to live and carry on with his heavy burden of bringing balance to the world.

Denisa was apparently as shrewd as she was powerful. She was offering him life, but at the cost of defying his sacred Jewish faith and at the cost of tainting his pure body with her corrosive demonic blood.

As his life force began to fade, and his world began to darken, the spiritual imbalance that he dutifully pushed into the very depths of his soul began to quickly overtake him.

He felt dread and he felt stuck in a way. Stuck and doomed and… lost. So very lost, that he couldn't even begin to describe the despair that it brought forth.

And it was _this_ terrifying realization that led him to beg for Denisa's interference.

It was a one-time grievous sin.

Or so he had thought at the time.

He found that his one sin, dutifully required so many others and he soon succumbed to a never ending cycle of evil that he justified as a morbid means to a very important end.

This was apparently what Denisa had wanted all along in order to punish him for hunting her and her corrupted descendants over the years. It was a punishment that took place multiple times a day, every time that he brought his cursed cup to his lips to feed his stolen time, and it was a punishment that created an absolute decrepit abomination….

A pure blooded human that could use holy spiritual powers and demonic physical powers, yet was far more powerful than both.

Mikhal had dreamed about 'the end' of it all ever since that day, fifty five years ago. And he felt that now, finally, he had found a way with which to empower his people with a means with which to restore balance without him. If all went smoothly, and the device proved itself, he swore that he would stop the drinking and allow himself to pass on. If more tweaks needed to be made, then he provided himself with the means of obtaining pure demonic blood to see him through to the next testing phase.

It was a surefire personal win either way.

* * *

"You seem upset." Kagome whispered to Koga, as their small team made their way over to the dining cave for last meal.

"Worried." Koga corrected.

"It's understandable. I would be too, if the situation were reversed." She admitted. "But, while we wait for His Immaculacy to show up, do try to keep your mind off of things."

Since yesterday's meeting, Sesshomaru had approved Koga's battle plan and R.O.O.T had been busy in moving hundreds of agents from their Finnish base over to Norway to assist in the upcoming battle. Fenrir's pack had been relocated to Thoren's lands without a hitch, and spies had been placed in areas surrounding his newly unoccupied territory. Upon any reported sighting of His Immaculacy, R.O.O.T would give the order to execute the previously proposed plan of attack. Once that happened, a helicopter would be swinging by to pick up a Koga-less Alpha Team, and Lucian, for assistance.

"Something feels off." Koga pushed, as he took a seat near Lucian at the table.

"Are your instincts warning you of danger?" Kagome questioned seriously, as she took her place by his side.

"Yes." He admitted. "And as time ticks by, the warning gets stronger. The last time I felt like this…" He trailed off, not willing to continue.

"It was when I died, wasn't it?" Kagome said, softly.

Koga nodded.

"I know you're going to think that I'm just being overprotective. But, I feel like I need to go with you."

"Koga, if you set foot over there, you could die." Kagome said, angrily. "You're incredibly powerful, but even weak holy users, when in large numbers, could be incredibly dangerous. Add in the fact that His Immaculacy will be there, it's too much of a risk. I can't lose you."

"But if I don't go, I could lose _you_." Koga said, simply.

"You are meant to go." Lucian grumbled. "It has been foreseen."

 _What the hell? Do all wolf demons eavesdrop on other people's private conversations?_ Kagome mentally hissed.

"Could you maybe, I don't know, mind your own damn business?" She said sarcastically, as she leaned over Koga's frame.

"This war is my business." Lucian growled angrily, in return. "Little alpha _will_ participate. He just hasn't realized it yet."

"Participate in what capacity?" Kagome retorted, matching his angry tone.

"Of that, I do not know. I do know that he is meant to be there fighting alongside you." Lucian snapped, as he waved his hand dismissively in her direction.

"Not happening."

"Of this you have no control, _tiny human_. His instincts will drive him to your side."

"Again, mind your business, please."

"Speaking of _my_ business." Lucian rumbled, as he now fully swung his body over Koga's lap and in Kagome's direction.

"Hey!" Koga roared.

"I believe that my abilities in the bedroom fully qualify as MY business. What in the hell did Anni tell you about such private affairs?" He spat.

"What?!" Kagome retorted, as her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Um. Do either of you want to switch seats with me?" Koga now asked the scowling pair that flanked him.

Both ignored him.

"You _were_ listening at the door! I knew it!"

Koga sighed. He really didn't want to listen to any of this.

"Speak, human. My patience grows thin!"

"She didn't elaborate!" Kagome replied. "She just said that her current mate is the best lover that she ever had."

At this Koga began hysterically laughing, earning himself a fierce look from Lucian's glowing teal eyes.

"I'm not laughing at you! Trust me, if you knew her mate, you'd laugh too!" Koga swore.

"Would you stop putting Ginta down?!" Kagome hissed.

"Don't you dare try to drag me into this stupid argument!" Koga said, angrily. "I just want to eat!"

As Koga was about to push his chair away and look for a new place to sit, the sound of a helicopter roaring overhead froze him, and everyone else, in place.

"It's go time!" Kagome roared, as she scrambled to get to her feet.

Lucian and Alpha Team immediately sprang into action and made a beeline for the flat lands that marked the secret entranceway to the mountain.

Once outside, Koga watched as his team jumped inside of the HAL Light Combat Helicopter, immediately arming themselves with the provided weapons that they found inside.

Lucian, battle sword in hand, was the last to enter the helicopter and the aircraft momentarily had to adjust itself in order to accommodate for his massive weight.

As Koga watched the helicopter pull away from the mountain, his body moved without his permission and he leapt aboard in one swift movement.

He seemed as perplexed by his actions as his team obviously was.

"Fang! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Trace roared. "It's like you have a death wish or something!"

"Turn around!" Kagome hollered over to the pilot.

"Can't do that ma'am. We have sightings of the bad guy on the battle field. There's no time."

"You are _not_ to get off of this helicopter, do you understand me?" Kagome spat as she scowled at Koga, who had begun to arm himself.

"I can't promise that."

"That's an order!"

"I don't care. Something bad is going to happen. I wouldn't be able to hang back even if I wanted to. You know that!"

"If I need to incapacitate you, I swear I will." Kagome said, defiantly.

"You will do no such thing." Lucian grumbled. "He is needed, just as you are."

Kagome stared at Lucian with pure fury in her eyes.

"I am the leader of this team. I decide how this team will assist. Not you!"

"Why are we holding?" Frisk interrupted, as their helicopter paused several minutes into the flight.

"The plane with the machine just flew into the designated airspace. We are to hold back until the airborne capture team finishes their part." The pilot answered. "In the meantime, get your radios on."

* * *

In the absolute darkness of the night, Mikhal slowly approached the marked den of his intended targets. As he and his large fleet encircled the space from the forest, he whispered the order to 'hold' into his radio ear piece.

When his ground team stilled, he brought his phone to his ear and quickly gave the order for the small prop plane that he had rented to pull through the airspace.

Several minutes of heated anticipation passed until he heard the low whirring sound of the propeller sounding off far in the distance. As the plane got closer, the muted noise was replaced by a loud buzzing sound.

If this had been a night of a full moon, he, and the others, would have noticed the large C-130 military aircraft that was far off in the distance was truly responsible for the new roaring noise. They also would have noticed that the much larger plane was quickly closing in on the smaller prop plane from above.

"This is it! The machine is on _that_ plane!" The female pilot of the C-130 plane roared to her small fleet of agents.

"How can you be sure?!" One of the agents called over to her. "We only have one shot at this!"

"You little shit, I can fucking see it!" She spat, as she began to lower her plane over the much smaller plane.

"Don't you know who that is?" Yuu whispered over to the doubtful agent. "That's _Inspect_ , the Reconnaissance department head! She's from my base. She has X-ray vision."

"Shit. R.O.O.T's really pulling out all the stops on this one." The agent mumbled, as he took a deep breath. "It looks like they pulled one of the top brass onto this airborne mission in an effort to keep _you_ safe." He continued, as he beamed at Yuu. "I actually heard rumors that Sage will be getting involved on the ground effort, too." He whispered as he whistled, apparently amazed.

 _No, not R.O.O.T. This is the work of the General._ Yuu suspected, as he studied the profile of the woman that sat in the cockpit. She had taken to rambling excitedly to herself in Hebrew.

 _If I recall her agency profile, this woman was the former leader of Alpha Team before she took up the reins of the reconnaissance department._ _In addition to her X-ray vision, she is an expert in Krav Maga._ Yuu remembered, as he listened to her speak to herself in, what was obvious to be, her native tongue. _Sayeret Matkal. This woman was most likely a member of the Israeli Sayeret Matkal once upon another life._ He realized. _One of the world's most elite military units of which only the strongest get in… and this woman got in._

As the C-130 closed the gap, six anxious agents put on their oxygen masks and night vision eyewear. All were wearing parachutes and harnesses and each where locking the thick tethered cords that were affixed to their harnesses to metallic pipes that ran across each side of the plane. Once linked, the agents separated to each exit area found on either side of the plane.

"Drop down and hold!" Inspect ordered, into their shared radio connection.

 _It's now or never._ Yuu thought, as he mimicked the actions of the two agents that dropped down before him on his side of the plane.

Yuu watched on excitedly as he dangled from his line. He could see the small plane beneath him.

When Inspect was ready to give the signal, all agents would drop onto the enemy aircraft, break in and rush the existing occupants.

"All agents go! Make me proud, motherfuckers!" Yuu heard in his ear piece, as he released his line and tracked his landing onto the prop plane's wing by the use of his night vision glasses.

Upon landing, he used his provided heavy duty suction cup to anchor himself, and his tool kit, onto the wing. He made quick work of affixing his tethered safety line to the metal ring of the suction cup and waited for his fellow agents to blow off the prop plane's door.

Which they did with utmost efficiency.

After the resulting explosion, he held his position and watched as five elite human agents charged into the plane.

Several seconds passed before four bodies were thrown out of it and he was given the hand signal to enter.

Yuu immediately sprung to his feet and used his provided suction gear to crawl his way over to the entrance way of the plane.

The moment he got inside, he charged at the machine that lay within and rolled up his sleeves. As he opened his tool kit, he was vaguely aware that the agent that had taken over the piloting of this plane was sharply changing directions.

He could also hear Inspect's plane overhead, following it.

 _We're headed to the North Sea._ Yuu realized, as he recalled his mission brief. _If I can't find a way to dismantle this thing, we're going to jump ship and crash this thing into the ocean._

Yuu wiped the sweat from his brow as he hurriedly got to work in disassembling the frame of the large machine.

The agents that were being used in his plane for the airborne portion of this mission were all human. All except for _him_. One wrong move, and this beast of a mechanical creation could either kill him outright, or steal his precious powers away forever.

 _Just focus on the work!_ His mind chided, as he took a deep breath. _I totally got this!_ He realized, as his mind made note of all the electronic components that laid before him in the newly exposed body of the device.

 _I am here because I am the only one in the organization that can do this._ He thought, proudly.

Yuu was only a newly recruited member to R.O.O.T. He hadn't even been able to get through basic training in his short time with the organization before he was sent to Germany on his first mission and he was dangerously underqualified and unexperienced in the military expertise needed to execute the high risk Norwegian mission that he was on now. However, with of all this taken into consideration, R.O.O.T still selected him as the most highly qualified engineer for the job and provided him with their very best agents for _his_ protection.

 _These people believe in me and I sure as hell am not going to let anyone down._

* * *

 _Something is very wrong._ Mikhal realized, as an echoing sound of a small explosion went off in skyward direction far off from his right and an electric tingle shot down his spine.

He and his followers were all looking upwards to the sky awaiting the arrival of the plane. However, by the sound of the propeller, it seemed to be getting further away from them.

"What should we do?" One of his followers asked, into the shared radio connection.

 _Did something happen to the plane?_ Mikhal wondered, worriedly.

He attempted to call the pilot several times, but there was no answer.

 _A mechanical issue?_ He wondered.

"His Immaculacy, what would you have us do?" A female voice now pushed.

"I did not come all this way to leave these demons unpunished for their crimes against humanity." He said, as he closed his eyes and attempted to hone in on the demons that were hiding within their dens several yards ahead.

He felt nothing.

"Does anyone sense any demonic aura in this area _at all_?" He spat, into the radio connection. "I'm not picking up on _anything_."

"You wouldn't. We didn't either when we first found this place." A man's voice advised. "The metallic rock that surrounds this area acts as a natural barrier and it contains demonic energy within. If we didn't see several demons actually exit the caves by chance, we'd never have been alerted to their presence here." He continued. "Actually, the more that I think about it, the majority of the lands that make up this country are all mountainous rock. The land here is a natural safe haven for demons."

 _The very earth protects the evil that lives upon it?!_ Mikhal's mind roared. _Damn it all to hell!_

"Everyone storm that den and purify every single demon that lies within!" He said coldly, as he took several swigs from his flask. "Now!"

* * *

"We've been cleared. The device is officially out of the airspace!" Kagome's helicopter pilot advised into the radio connection, as he steered their transport towards their final goal.

"About fucking time." Frisk spat, as an evil smile spread across his face.

Five minutes later, all passengers looked on as a giant white glow engulfed the woods surrounding an expanse of rocky underground caves.

"Your people are seriously pissed off, Rai." Terrain grumbled, as she tapped Kagome on the shoulder.

"They're going to be even more pissed off once they figure out what's really hiding in those caves."

As if on cue, the flood of holy users charged the caves.

"Cease all actions!" Kagome ordered into her helicopter's external speaker, as her pilot flew her directly overhead. "Peaceful surrender is your only option! You are surrounded! You have no means of escape!"

Alpha Team watched on as the holy users halted in utter confusion, looking skyward at the helicopter.

As Kagome's words echoed through the landscape, a flood of agents wearing R.O.O.T's heavy duty tactical gear erupted from the many orifices that adorned the ground.

It was at this time that two military cargo planes came into the airspace from the rear.

Kagome could just imagine the shock that the members of The Order were experiencing as they pieced together the arrival of an additional fleet that was obviously sent in to prevent their escape. If they were able to see in the dark, they would have noticed the many agents parachuting out of the planes and taking their positions around the perimeter.

"If they're smart, they'll surrender." Mystic shouted into the shared radio connection, while their helicopter began using a spotlight to scan the ground.

As the cargo planes emptied and left, several additional helicopters came upon the scene, all using their spotlights to assist in providing light.

"Agent Wraith!" A familiar voice spoke into the radio. "Is that you?"

As Kagome scanned the helicopters around her, she noticed that one helicopter in particular carried an agent that appeared to be waving to her.

"Trinity, I am so glad that you could join us." Kagome replied, happily.

"Holy user support is holding down the skies. We're up in the heavens where we belong." Trinity joked.

As Trinity began to chuckle, the holy users down below who were initially bathed within their glowing white purification energy, were now glowing blue."

"Fuck! They're throwing up their shields!" Kagome roared.

The Order immediately began spraying R.O.O.T's offensive front line with bullets.

All watched on as multiple shields flew up over R.O.O.T's agents in response and a slew of fire balls, whirlwinds, ice, electricity and bullets were launched into the sea of hostile holy users.

"Idiots!" Frisk shouted. "Why would you choose death?!"

Kagome was about to begin devising her team's support strategy, when a sharp electrifying bolt shot down her spine in warning.

As she turned her head to once again observe the melee down below, she clearly witnessed one holy user in particular summon his purification powers. His white light was so humungous that it almost reached up to their helicopter. This person was moving at a speed that shouldn't at all have been possible and was cutting through the numerous agents that lay before him on the field with what looked to be, a supercharged bayonet.

This particular individual immediately garnered the attention of the others within her helicopter as well.

As they gazed upon him, the man swayed his head as if looking for something of utmost importance. Once he seemed to have locked onto whatever it was that he was searching for, his head flew up in the direction of Kagome's helicopter.

Kagome could have sworn he was holding her eyes.

Before anyone could understand what they were witnessing, and without any warning, that same man suddenly appeared in their helicopter. He apparently managed to somehow jump inside from his former place on the ground and was engulfed in blazing, white, purifying light.

Kagome's blue shield immediately flew over Koga in response.

The man didn't stick around long enough for anyone to process his presence. He immediately dove into Lucian's chest and catapulted them both out of the other end of the helicopter.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Kagome screamed, completely horrified. "How the fuck would a human be able to do that?!" She roared.

"That was His Immaculacy!" Mystic said, hurriedly. "Looks like he zoned in on Lucian's presence."

"You knew that this would happen?" Kagome asked, angrily.

"No, I didn't know that he was going to jump in here! I just knew that he was going to fight Lucian at some point. I didn't know when or how." She said, worriedly. "Lucian's premonitions were just flashes of numerous scenes. It wasn't a continuous story line, like a video that you could watch. There were large gaps missing."

"Are those the type of enhanced abilities that vampire blood has on humans? He moves just like Lucian does!" Frisk huffed, in disbelief. "That's fucking insane! How are we supposed to fight someone like that?!"

As these words were said, a fierce clashing of demonic and purification energies blasted upwards from the ground, the energy of which was so intense that it literarily swayed Alpha Team's helicopter from its place in the sky. It also managed to blast all the people participating in the warfront down against the ground.

Kagome shakily took to the radio, jumping onto her organization's shared connection.

"All agents! The man with the giant white light source is His Immaculacy. He is extremely dangerous and moves with such speed that he cannot be tracked. Try to avoid him at all costs. The man with the giant black light source that is currently fighting him, is on our side. However, he too must be avoided at all costs." Kagome commanded. "When fighting your adversaries, understand that holy users are the most vulnerable to attacks when they are glowing within a white light. However, when they are glowing blue, they are shielded." She quickly advised. "I want all R.O.O.T holy users down on the ground. You are all ordered to use your powers in unison in attempt to barricade this particular battle off from the rest of the fighting that is taking place on the warfront. Turn your radio signals to channel two. We need all hands on deck!" She ordered, before she looked over at the pilot. "Bring me down."

She immediately felt a clawed hand wrap tightly around her wrist.

Koga said nothing. He only stared at her.

"Frisk you will be taking command of Alpha Team in my stead. Work with Fang to devise the battle strategy and help the agents down below. Use your best judgment in sending our team down to the front lines." Kagome ordered, as she held Frisk's eyes. "Mystic, I want you to keep Alpha Team within the shared psychic connection. If you do happen to become involved in the melee, make sure you stick together and watch each other's backs."

Her orders were met with serious nods.

In unison all members of Alpha Team held out their fists before devotedly pulling them into their chests, against their hearts.

Kagome smiled and reached down to grab her bow and arrows.

"Wraith?"

"Don't try to stop me, Fang."

"I'm not. I'll be watching you from the sky. Please be careful." Koga said seriously, though his eyes were filled with worry.

Kagome nodded and took him in a quick embrace, pulling his lips desperately against hers for one chaste kiss. As the couple parted, Kagome jumped from the helicopter, launching her parachute and gliding in the direction of the heavy weight battle that was currently taking place between werewolf and holy user.

* * *

"Who the fuck is this demon?!" Trinity roared into the private connection, as he landed and removed his parachute.

He immediately threw his shield up and tried to somehow get close to the two Celestial beings that he could not track with his eyes. However, Lucian's dark energy was pushing him away.

"That demon happens to be Lucian, king of the werewolves." Kagome replied, as she ran over at top speed while covered by her blue shield. "And before you lose your shit, Trinity, he's on our side."

"Wait?! What?!"

"You heard me. Now process that and move on. We have to corral these two before they inadvertently take out any of our agents!"

"I can't believe this!"

"You heard the lady. Our job is to protect our agency brothers and sisters from these two celestial beings. Get your shit together." Mahdi shouted, as she flanked him and summoned her shield.

Kagome noticed that approximately twenty other holy agents began to pop up around the wide perimeter of the main battle. None seemed to be able to get close to the battle between Lucian and His Immaculacy.

"Let's get a barrier started!" Karma ordered and she began to trace invisible seals into the air. "It will help shield the energies from within and allow us to get closer!"

Many agents nodded and began to trace their own invisible symbols into the air.

Soon the airspace was around them was twinkling with tiny beads of light.

"We need to fan out and make sure we surround them." Karma stated.

All agents began to run off, forming a large loose circle around the blazing celestial energy blasts that appeared to be clashing against each other in ever altering positions.

"Release the seals and form the barrier!" Trinity ordered. "All holy users! Channel into your hands and hold the energy!"

Kagome, and all other agents, did as they were told. As they did so, a giant sparkling ribbon of light immediately snaked around them. The barrier of light used the palms of everyone's hands as points in which it formed a circle.

"Walk towards each other. Let's tighten this up!" Karma ordered. "Make sure you feed this barrier with your energy as you do! This is our protection!"

Kagome nodded and followed Karma's orders, watching on as the twinkling barrier turned to a fortified and golden semi-transparent wall.

As the barrier did its job, the people that had once been pushed down against the ground due to the deadly aura situation finally began to get to their feet.

* * *

 _This is a demon like no other!_ Mikhal's mind concluded, as he struggled to dodge the werewolf's huge battle sword.

It had become apparent at the time that they had first swung fists, that this giant demon took pleasure in pain.

Mikhal had nearly singed the werewolf's arm clean off with his first blow, and the maniac smiled at him with such unabashed joy, that he thought he might actually become sick.

Several direct hits later and Mikhal realized that the demon was intentionally taking his blows and reveling in them.

 _No, not reveling, he's testing. He's determining my level._ He realized.

"Sick, demented fuck!" He spat, as he expertly swung his bayonet at him. His weapon of choice was made from purification powers channeled into a silver Swiss army knife that he carried in his hand. His white blade sliced right through the demon's thigh and the demon responded with a loud roar of laughter as his eyes turned ruby red and a black opaque shield engulfed his body.

"Looks like you're finally ready to get serious!" Mikhal shouted, as he tried to push his body around and behind him.

As he did so, the demon disappeared from his line of sight.

 _He's just as fast as I am._ He realized as he ducked, barely missing a slashing claw swung in his direction from behind.

However, he wasn't able to dodge the beast's foot that kicked him harshly against the golden barrier that corralled them.

Mikhal bounced off the barrier and right into the snarling demon's sword, which expertly slid between his two lower left ribs before it was pulled away from him.

 _I need to drink!_ Mikhal realized. _I just need a second or two._ He thought, as he reached for his flask.

Lucian appeared to question Mikhal's change in tactics before hastily chasing after him while he scrambled to get away.

 _Why the fuck are we inside a barrier?_ He wondered as he truly noticed it for the first time. _There's not much space to work with in here!_ He thought angrily, as he chanced a glance at the people who were feeding the golden structure with their hands.

When this military group rushed him and his people earlier, he immediately determined that H.A.V.O.C had finally caught up to him. He never truly believed that they had disappeared. He always assumed that they had gone dark in an effort to lull The Order into a false sense of security. However, as he now gazed upon the obvious holy users that were reinforcing the shield, who were all dressed in tactical clothing, it was clear to him that this was a completely different organization. H.A.V.O.C, as far as he knew, didn't utilize such beings. Instead, they happily hunted them.

 _Traitorous garbage!_ Mikhal seethed, as he bolted to the far side of the barrier.

"Do you even know what you are doing?!" He roared to the random woman that he found on the other side of the barrier that boasted black hair wound into a tightly held bun and dark chocolate eyes.

The woman scowled at him and pulled her right hand away from its hold on the barrier for the sole purpose of giving him the middle finger.

Mikhal felt his blood boil.

 _My entire life has been dedicated to helping the human race. My entire existence has been spent sheltering and training The Chosen in a mission bestowed upon me by The Pure. And how does my ultimate sacrifice get rewarded? By holy users willingly using their powers to try to destroy me and my life's purpose!_ His mind roared, as he reflected on his betrayal by the humans in Romania and compared it to the betrayal that he was obviously facing at present.

Maliciously, Mikhal savagely reached through the barrier and grabbed the agent by the vest. He then, using his inhuman strength and speed, swung her body around his back, using it as a shield for Lucian's predicted attack from his rear.

He smiled to himself as he felt the resounding thud.

However, for some reason his hearing became muffled and his vision momentarily blurred.

 _What happened?_

Dumbly, Mikhal looked down to see four claws made of hot, holy light protruding from his chest.

 _This isn't possible. How could…? When?_

Fury.

That was the emotion that took over at this moment. Pure and unbridled fury.

Mikhal angrily whipped his body around and swung the body of the woman roughly over his shoulder and away from him, flinging her off into the distance before he charged after her.

Kagome's body instinctually covered itself within its blue shield. As she was about to painfully crash into the barrier, she felt a familiar presence wrap her in a protective and glowing embrace.

"Koga?"

Koga said nothing. Kagome didn't have to look up at him to know that he was in complete berserker mode and was most likely incapable of speech.

She felt Koga shift her body into his left arm as her mate then reached his right claw up towards the sky.

"Goraishi!" He roared, as he brought his hand down and released a horrific blast of electricity directly down in front of them.

"Watch where you are aiming, little alpha!" Lucian roared, as he and His Immaculacy seemed to teleport away from the terrifying attack.

 _How the hell did Koga get through the barrier?_ Kagome wondered, as she finally chanced a glance up at Koga's face.

Koga's head was swaying aggressively around, attempting to track down her assailant. His teeth were extended passed his chin and were dripping with saliva. He was growling wildly and he was glowing brightly within his blue protective shield.

 _He used the shield._ Kagome realized. _That's what allowed him to pass through and that's what's protecting him from all the purification energy that's blowing around inside of this barrier._

Then, without warning, Koga appeared to stiffen, apparently locking onto his target. As a result, he immediately grabbed Kagome by her vest and dangled her in the air.

"What are you doing?"

Koga didn't answer her. He instead gently pushed her outside of the barrier before releasing his hold on her vest and taking off to join the battle.

Kagome watched on as the barrier's occupants teleported around; striking, slashing and burning their way through each other as an epic battle came underway.

"Work together!" Kagome roared. "You two have to work together! He's wounded!"

Lucian and Koga didn't seem to acknowledge her.

She was about to reenter the barrier when a flurry of bullets went off in her direction.

"Great. People are breaking off from the battle down there and coming after us now!" Trinity roared into the radio.

Kagome switched to the shared channel on her headset.

"All agents, protect the holy users! If this barrier goes down, we're all as good as dead!"

All of the holy users eyed the grounds to the west, watching as a rogue group made up of about a dozen members of The Order quickly charged at them.

"HELP!" Trinity roared. "We're completely defenseless while we're holding this thing!"

Kagome hurriedly loaded several arrows into her bow and aimed at the ground ahead of them, attempting to throw up a shield.

But she never got the chance.

An angry wind kicked up, howling through the landscape in anger.

All watched on as a hurricane level blast of air encircled the dozen assailants and vacuumed them all up into the air.

The dozen people all screamed as they were blown around in a mini cyclone, the wind whipping and slicing through their skin. Even with their shields up, it didn't matter. They were roughly being channeled high up into the sky, and in a split second, they were harshly channeled downwards, landing upon the ground in a sickening smack.

Kagome's group grimaced as they looked upon the tattered bodies of The Order before looking up again to address the agent that was flying over to them, hovering over their space in the sky.

"I will protect you." Came a familiar voice into the shared radio connection.

The woman then turned in the direction of a few members of The Order that were grouped together in the secondary battle and released her katana from her hip.

"Wind Scar!" She roared, as she threw an angry energy blast in their direction.

"YOU?!" Trinity spat. "You should not be here, Tempest! You're too inexperienced!"

"I was allowed to come, Trin. My powers are a great asset in taking down multiple enemies at one time, in case you haven't noticed."

"You're going to get killed!"

"No, you were. I saved you. You're welcome."

"How the hell is R.O.O.T allowing this?!"

"I told you, I am needed. Plus, my department head came here personally to ensure my safety." Mei said, smugly.

"Can you two idiots _not_ have this conversation right now?!" Mahdi screamed into the radio. "You're taking up the shared channel. We are at war right now!"

 _Sage is here fighting?_ Kagome wondered as she scanned the field, not willing to take her eyes off of the massive battle within the barrier for more than a few seconds.

As if to answer her question, a man that she had only ever seen on her base's T.V. screens ran across her line of vision. His short orange hair was blowing in the wind as he acrobatically jumped around.

"Fox fire!" The man roared as he blasted two holy users in the chest with a blast of fire.

Kagome felt a sharp pang of electricity run through her body.

 _There's no way. That's impossible!_

Sage turned in her direction and winked at her, before bolting off.

 _Shippo?! Have you… Have you been disguising yourself as a human for all of this time?! You're the Intelligence department head?!_

Kagome shook her head in complete shock.

 _He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be fighting on the front lines. He is a full demon. He could easily be killed!_

A loud booming growl interrupted her musings and pulled her gaze back in the direction of Lucian and Koga's epic battle.

"Holy shit!" Someone roared.

Kagome ran up to the barrier and looked upon the horrific scene.

Lucian had a hold of His Immaculacy's shoulders and was forcing him in place with brute strength, resulting in his arms practically being burned off. Koga was behind the holy user slashing his back angrily with his claws using a series of acrobatic flips and angry tumbles.

Blood and ash was flying everywhere.

"No!" Kagome shouted, as she pushed her way through the barrier and approached the violent scene.

Without thinking she rushed His Immaculacy from behind.

Her sudden movements halted Koga mid-slash.

"Get Lucian out of here!" She demanded, as she wrapped her arms around His Immaculacy's waist and summoned her purification powers with all of her being.

Koga hesitated in a bestial stupor, before he got with the program and slammed his body into Lucian, breaking his hold on His Immaculacy and pushing him far away from the blinding light that blew off in their proximity.

Kagome didn't know what the hell she was thinking, but her soul seemed to take full control of all her physical actions.

She watched on as her powers angrily tried to overwhelm His Immaculacy's.

"Impressive." Mikhal grumbled, as he looked over his shoulder. "You might just be the most powerful holy user that I've ever met." He joked. "I'd ask for your name, but you'll be dead soon." He said arrogantly, as he began to blast his own energy against hers.

The physical battle that had been raging up until this point now became a very different one as both Celestial holy users fought through a spiritual tug of war.

 _I need to push harder!_ Kagome's mind screamed, as she felt Mikhal's spiritual force begin to overtake hers. _I need to take command of his energy and negate it!_

* * *

"She is losing, little alpha!" Lucian huffed, as he struggled to breathe.

Koga studied him for a moment before his eyes flew back in Kagome's direction.

"If he manages to take away her powers, which is what he is going to do, she won't be able to protect herself. He will slice her in two." Lucian warned.

Koga immediately roared, his voice was so anguished and so hateful that it rumbled the earth beneath them.

* * *

Kagome was putting everything that she had into holding Mikhal's energy at bay, but it was slowly overtaking her.

 _He's just too powerful!_ She thought, as she forced herself to hold on. _Lucian served him up to me and almost died doing it. I have to take this man's purification powers away. If I don't we won't be able to beat him!_

As much as she wanted to, she just didn't have the spiritual power that Mikhal did at her disposal and she began to feel her energy begin to slowly rotate in an opposite direction.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and prayed, refusing to give up.

Thankfully, the universe quickly answered her prayer when she felt Koga's arms tightly wrap around her from behind. The physical connection immediately set off their shared spiritual one, and Kagome felt her soul, the part that lived on within Koga, flooding her with additional energy, eagerly replacing her previously gifted half.

The power that resulted blew up towards the heavens, lighting up the sky and dissolving the clouds above with its hot and pure white light.

"What the fuck?!" Mikhal roared. "Who the hell _are you_?! This is impossible!" He spat, as Kagome's true power was unleashed and made quick work of countering his energy.

"You can call me Wraith, and I'm obviously the most powerful holy user in this world and it is my destiny to enlighten you, _brother_." She spat, as she flooded Mikhal's spirit with pure peace and love. "Everything that you've done has brought harm to the delicate balance of this world, a balance that you have no say in!" She pushed, as she felt Mikhal's spirit embrace hers. "You have defiled your very soul based upon illusions. You have defiled your body, based upon empty visions." She swore, as she chanced a glance back at Koga.

Koga's usual blue shield was now thick and black, hiding his features from her.

 _Looks like my shield and his demonic aura are working together to protect him._ She realized, before she turned her attention back on Mikhal.

She could feel his soul guiding his mind and showing him the true path through her energy.

It was only when she felt the man's tears begin to patter down against her arms that she quashed her powers and gently released him.

Koga released Kagome in response and his shield quickly dissipated.

"Everything…!" He roared, as he fell to his knees, his holy powers no longer encasing him. "Everything has been a lie!" He shouted, in disbelief.

"Call your people off." Kagome demanded, as she looked over to the barrier and gave the signal for it to come down. "Now."

Mikhal wiped his tears away and struggled to get to his feet. He took off in the direction of the large battle taking place to his left and spoke into his radio connection. As he did so, Kagome took to hers.

"Surrender." Mikhal shouted into his group's connection. "We surrender. I was wrong about so many things. Stop your attacks!" He ordered.

"Back off. They are surrendering. Cease all fighting." Kagome commanded to her group.

She took a deep sigh of relief when the commotion off in the distance quieted down and many hands flew up in defeat.

"I need a medical crew immediately." Kagome called into the radio. "Send only the very best!" She demanded, as she left Mikhal in Koga's care and set off toward Lucian.

"I'm coming with you." Trinity said seriously, as he flanked her. "I need to meet the man that practically destroyed my entire family."

Kagome ignored the comment as she fell to her knees at Lucian's side. Her eyes widened as she took in the level of damage that he had willingly absorbed.

"You sacrificed your body to give me a chance to grab a hold of him, didn't you?" Kagome whispered.

"It has been foreseen." Lucian grumbled.

Kagome shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me? We could have come up with a plan."

"I didn't know I would have to hold him in order for you to finish him. I only figured it out mid-battle." He admitted.

"Lucian, these injuries…" She trailed off, as she studied him.

His arms were only stumps and singed bone hung from his shoulders, held together by small threads of flesh.

"I will not die." He grumbled. "Do not worry yourself tiny human."

"How?" Trinity demanded, as he leaned over into Lucian's vision. "How the hell is it that you never die?" He asked, angrily.

As Lucian looked upon Trinity's face, his eyes widened in horror as they landed upon his white eyes.

"Albana." He grumbled. "You are a descendant of Albana."

"You killed her." Trinity spat.

"She almost killed me." Lucian retorted. "She would have succeeded too, if it weren't for a precious person's affections."

"My family has hated you and your people ever since that day. The story of your battle with my family's matriarch has been passed on through several generations."

"I will not apologize. It was foretold that my invasions would earn me my mate's love, and they did." Lucian admitted. "Therefore, they were worth all the sacrifices that were incurred. Your matriarch was the most powerful holy user that I have ever battled. She gave her life to stop me. You should honor her and her sacrifice every time you look in the mirror and look upon her white eyes."

Trinity chuckled.

"They run in the family." He admitted, before he was interrupted by a handsome man in a white lab coat falling to Lucian's side.

"Anatomy?!" Kagome shrieked. "What are you doing here?!"

"All department heads are involved in this one." He said casually, before staring at Lucian. "Geez, look at you! This is going to be a nightmare!" He stammered, as his gaze fell to Lucian's arms.

"Why are all the department heads involved in this mission?" Kagome pushed.

"The General seemed to be very, very worried about this battle and the agents participating. He's actually here too on standby with the Tenseiga. He just arrived ten minutes ago."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. He's out yonder reuniting with his dog." Anatomy whispered, as his hands began to glow.

"Do you know anything about the status of the device?"

"The young agent that was sent in to dismantle it did so. He and his team are on their way back here. He'll be turning the mirror over to the General upon arrival."

"Thank God." Kagome huffed, as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Tiny human." Lucian rumbled. "I owe you a debt, or have you forgotten?"

Kagome cracked her eyes open and stared down at Lucian's smirking face.

"I don't want anything from you." She admitted, as she watched a portion of his right arm begin to reform under Anatomy's attention.

"Your mate's ring." He grumbled. "You require a special material in order to create it. Do you not?" He pushed, as his eyes twinkled.

"Huh? How would you even know about that?"

"It has been…"

"'Foreseen'. Okay, I get it. Enough with that already." Kagome huffed.

"Take my fang." Lucian grumbled.

Kagome studied him for a moment, before her gaze dropped to his tusked tooth.

"I couldn't do that."

"It will grow back."

"Well in that case…." She said, as she greedily reached forward.

Lucian rewarded her by snapping at her hand, starling her.

Upon her reaction he roared with laughter.

"I really hate wolf demons." She grumbled, as she watched Lucian's now reformed right hand reach up and rip out his tooth.

Kagome loudly gagged at the action, barely realizing when the bloodied gift was instantly passed over to her.

"Thanks." Kagome grumbled, as she stared at the large item. "How the hell am I supposed to hide this from Fang in the meantime?" She wondered out loud.

"I'll hold onto it for you until we are able to get back to base." Trinity offered, as he slipped the large item down his vest. "Hopefully this thing doesn't stab me before I can get back."


	35. Chapter 35

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Chapter 35

"I can't believe this is finally happening!" Kagome squealed from the passenger seat of Koga's Subaru WRX.

Koga lifted Kagome's hand, which was entwined with his, and gently kissed her fingers.

The couple was on their way to the Higurashi Shrine.

"In less than twenty four hours we will be married in your family's shrine." He said, sweetly. "We'll finally be husband and wife!"

Kagome giggled.

" _Our_ family's shrine." She corrected. "And we'll finally have an official mating ceremony, too!" She said, happily.

"Two birds. One stone." Koga chuckled.

"I just hope all of our guests behave themselves tonight and don't get kicked out of the hotel that they're staying in." Kagome said, with an air of seriousness.

The moment that Alpha Team returned to their South Korean base after the battle against The Order, Kagome marched right into Sesshomaru's office and asked for the mother of all favors.

She asked for a wedding.

And not just any wedding.

A _real_ one.

One that would not only include her family, but her and Koga's closest friends as well.

Sesshomaru calmly listened to all of her demands with an air of indifference, and then he did something that she truly never expected.

He immediately approved it.

And the man even offered up his private real world resources to assist with the arrangements. Everything that Kagome wanted for her special day, she got, no questions asked.

There was only one condition.

All attendees would need to agree to the partial memory wipe that would take place after the reception.

As Koga and Kagome wanted to be wed using their real names, all R.O.O.T personnel that was in attendance would be required to have that specific memory removed, along with any memories regarding the names and faces of any non-R.O.O.T affiliated guests. On the flip side, all familial guests would be required to have the code names and faces of the many agents that were in attendance removed from their memories as well.

It was a small concession to make, and it was one that Kagome knew that everyone would agree to.

Now, three months later, the big event was finally upon them.

"The only way anyone would get booted out of the hotel tonight would be if Frisk did something stupid." Koga grumbled. "And I really don't feel like having to babysit him tonight, I really don't!"

"He _is_ your best man."

"One of." Koga corrected. "He is _one of_ my best men."

Months back, when the wedding planning had begun to get underway, he found that there was no way that he couldn't ask Frisk to stand beside Ginta and Hakkaku as one of his best men.

"It was really sweet of you to ask him. I've never seen him so happy before." Kagome said, honestly. "You do realize that you'll never be rid of him now, don't you?"

Koga sighed. "I don't want to be rid of him. He's my friend." He said, simply. "A very good one, too." He admitted, as he chanced a glance in the rear view mirror and looked upon Inuyasha's sleeping form.

The animal was snoring loudly in his back seat.

"But, I honestly don't think anyone was happier than Sesshomaru when you asked him to be your 'man of honor'. He's had a shit eating grin on his face for months now."

"I don't know how it happened, but since we've reunited, he's become one of my closest friends." Kagome admitted, as she thought about Mystic and Inspect who would also be serving as Kagome's maids of honor, alongside her 'man of honor' on her wedding day. "But, I must say that Frisk was really bummed that you didn't let him plan a bachelor party for you."

"Frisk needs to come to terms with the fact that not everyone grew up inside of a Western culture. We are _Japanese_. We don't have bachelor parties." Koga rumbled, honestly. "Plus, I feel like I've already spent the last two centuries of my life within one giant, never-ending bachelor party. I have no interest in that shit."

"There's nothing wrong with spending a simple night out with the guys and having fun, baby."

Koga sputtered. "A night out with Ginta, Hakkaku, Trinity, Frisk, Trace, Anatomy, Quake, Sota, mutt face and Sesshomaru wouldn't be fun! There are way too many different personalities involved. It would have been an absolute shit show and it probably would have ended with somebody dying."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh as she tried to picture this.

"No one would have died. You would have had both Anatomy and Sesshomaru there with you." Kagome said, as she began to laugh.

"Knowing my luck, Anatomy would probably be the one to accidentally get himself killed!" Koga grumbled. "Then we wouldn't have anyone on hand to heal him after Sesshomaru brought him back to life!"

Kagome erupted into hysterics at the thought.

"Plus, after we return from the honeymoon, the base is planning on throwing us a party anyway. We can all let loose together then."

"Maybe we can convince Sage to leave his Australian base so that he can attend." Kagome halfheartedly joked.

"I still can't believe that Shippo is the head of Intelligence." Koga admitted. "Are you sure that the person that you saw that day was really him?"

Kagome had gone looking for Shippo after the battle in Norway, but wasn't able to find him. He took off immediately following The Order's surrender. Since then, Kagome had tried to get in touch with him several times, but he never responded to any of her emails nor did he return any of her phone calls. As a result, she was forced to leave the finding alone. When she had gone to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha about it, they seemed to be completely perplexed by her conclusion as well.

"I felt it in my soul, Koga. That _was_ Shippo!" She swore. "Shippo is a fox demon. His species is infamous for their trickery and unparalleled shapeshifting abilities. That said, who better to lead a department comprised of spies that specialize in information gathering, than him?" Kagome questioned. "I looked up his agency profile. Sage _is_ a known shapeshifter and a legendary R.O.O.T spy. He's been with the organization for eighty years and he was promoted to Intelligence department head twenty years ago when his predecessor, Yamada, was promoted into the role General." She said. "He accepted the invitation to the wedding. So, he will be at tomorrow's ceremonies." Kagome said softly, as she became lost in thought.

"We'll see." Koga said on a huff, as he parked the car in front of the lengthy steps that made their way up to Kagome's property. He then exited the car and went to get their small overnight bags while Kagome took to trying to rouse Inuyasha from his slumber.

The couple's real luggage was waiting for them inside of the high end Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel where they would be spending the night after tomorrow's nuptials. That following morning, they would be flying out to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

But, today would be spent with Sota and Ginta walking through the wedding rehearsals for both ceremonies. And the evening would be spent in Kagome's home, surrounded by her family.

As the small group got to the top of the steps, they were greeted by the smiling faces of Sota, Ginta and Kagome's mom.

"Inuyasha!" Sota shouted, as he ran over to the dog. "You really are okay!"

Kagome and Koga winced.

"Here goes nothing." Kagome muttered, as she watched Sota take Inuyasha into a bone crushing hug.

She had been putting this off for three months.

"Sota, we need to talk…." She started, before her mother ran over and took her and Koga into a tight embrace.

"Hi, mom. I've missed you." Koga said smoothly, immediately turning up the charm, as he returned the small woman's hug.

He was rewarded with a chaste kiss on the cheek and the beaming face of Kagome's mother.

"Handsome as always, Koga!" She said with a wide smile, before turning her attention over to Kagome. "I've missed you both so much! I am so incredibly happy that you are finally here!"

The sweet words were interrupted by the sounds of Sota screaming.

"This isn't the same dog! This isn't the same soul!" Sota roared, as he quickly jumped up to his feet. "I knew it! I knew that this would happen!" He spat, as he angrily turned to his sister. " _You!_ You did this, didn't you!" He accused, as he scowled at her.

Ginta, who had intentionally taken his time approaching the family in an attempt to allow them some much needed privacy, instantly became startled by Sota's newly venomous tone.

"I didn't do anything!" Kagome said, defensively. "The wrong soul was called forth! It was an accident!"

"Is it really that bad?" Inuyasha said seriously, as he studied Sota's scowling face from his place near the ground.

At the sound of these words, Sota nearly jumped out of his skin while Ginta stumbled backwards onto his ass, clutching at his heart.

"Did you…." Sota trailed off, as he stared at the dog in utter disbelief. "Did you just talk?"

"You don't remember me?" Inuyasha said, sadly.

Sota dropped to his knee and stared into his dog's serious, golden eyes.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha nodded his head.

"The _real_ one." Inuyasha grumbled.

"How _the hell_ did this happen?!"

"My brother is an idiot." Inuyasha replied simply, as if it explained everything.

"What about our dog?" He asked softly, as his gaze flew over to his sister.

"About that." Kagome huffed. "We found a way to bring him back. But…."

"But, I don't want to leave." Inuyasha interjected. "I want to stay here." He admitted. "I know it sounds really fucked up and selfish, but I really feel like I was brought here for a reason and I'd like to find out what that reason is." He said, roughly. "But, I know it's not a decision for me to make alone and that it's really up to you and your sister."

Sota rubbed his temples while Ginta crawled over to Inuyasha and tested the air. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"That's a really shitty decision to pass on to us, brother Inuyasha. You're asking us to decide between you and our dog."

At Sota's use of the word 'brother' Koga immediately frowned.

"If it helps any, I can promise you that your dog is in a wonderful place. All animals speed on through to eternity." Inuyasha said, honestly.

"Your sister wants Inuyasha to stay." Koga grumbled, as he diverted his eyes.

"Fate doesn't make mistakes, Sota. I believe that everything happens for a reason." Kagome whispered, as she came to her brother's side.

"I'll have to pray on it." Sota said, as he became lost in thought. "I can't make such a giant decision on the spot like this. Hopefully the spirits can help guide me in some way."

"You have to agree." Inuyasha growled. "Whatever the decision may be, you and Kagome both have to agree on it."

* * *

Koga sighed as he sat back in his seat and rubbed his stomach after he throughly completed his third helping of dinner.

After the lengthy rehearsals for the two ceremonies, Kagome's mother had prepared what could only described as a feast in his honor. The meal was mostly comprised of meat, and though it was cooked, the woman ensured that the meat was borderline rare, just for him.

"You are an amazing cook." Koga said honestly, as he winked at Kagome's mother. "How is it that you never learned how to cook from your mom?" He asked seriously, as he now turned his attention over to his mate.

"I wasn't around long enough." Kagome admitted. "I left while I was still in high school, remember." She said, sadly.

Inuyasha paused in his furious devourment of his steak to loudly suck his teeth.

"Great going, wolf. Just like you to depress everyone." He grumbled, before he went back to inhaling his meal.

Kagome's mother giggled.

"Don't worry about it." She said reassuringly, as she squeezed Koga's arm. "It's better to talk about these things, anyway."

"Thanks, _mom_." Koga loudly stressed, as he threw Inuyasha a dirty look.

The dog completely ignored him.

"How do you think the rehearsals went today?" Mom asked curiously, as she focused her full attention on Koga.

"Easy." Koga.

Sota scoffed. "You spaced out the entire time."

"All I had to learn was where to walk, where to sit and how to hold a bunch of sake cups." Koga replied. "That was easy."

Kagome angrily huffed. "Did you pay attention to Sota's explanation of the meaning behind tomorrow's Shinto customs at all?"

"Of course I did."

"Oh really? Then what is the purpose behind the 'bunch of sake cups'?"

Koga appeared to think about this for a moment before he shrugged.

 _He takes nothing seriously._

"You do realize that Sota didn't go through all of those lengthy explanations for _my_ benefit, don't you? I was the shrine maiden here! You are marrying a Shinto priestess tomorrow! The explanations that were given were just for _you_!" Kagome spat, as she threw Koga the mother of all dirty looks.

Koga sputtered and immediately straightened.

"You didn't even pay attention to Ginta's explanation behind the mating ceremony." She added.

"Why the hell would I care about that? I've already gone through it once. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? You _are_ a wolf demon! Don't you care about your own sacred traditions?! Don't you want to pass those traditions on to our future children?" Kagome questioned, angrily.

Inuyasha sighed loudly.

"You're going to fuck something up." He grumbled, as he finished his food.

"Agreed." Sota mumbled.

"You don't want to piss off the Shinto spirits, Koga." Inuyasha snickered. "Or the spirits of your tribe's ancestors."

"Or the two holy users that will be escorting your demonic ass inside of their blessed shrine." Sota joked.

"Maybe, if we're lucky, he'll burst into flames the moment that he steps foot in there." Inuyasha joked, as everyone began to disperse from the table and get ready for bed.

"Whatever!" Koga called out to them, as he began to clear the dishes from the table while Kagome situated herself at the sink to wash them.

Once he finished, he came up to Kagome from behind and wrapped his arms lovingly around her.

"I can't wait to sleep in your old room." He whispered, seductively. "Maybe you can find that old school uniform of yours and wear it for me."

Kagome snorted.

"I doubt my mother kept any of that stuff, baby." She said, on a giggle. "And, I hate to burst your bubble, but _you're_ sleeping in Sota's room tonight while he takes up the couch."

"Wait. What? _Why?_ " Koga sputtered.

"No bed until you wed!" Kagome's mother chimed in from the background.

Koga whipped his head around and stared at the woman as if she were pure evil.

"Why?! We're both adults!"

"This is _my_ house and if you two want to have sex, you need to be married first. I don't care how old you are." She said, firmly. "Otherwise, go somewhere else."

"But, we're getting married tomorrow!"

"No exceptions." Kagome's mother said, calmly.

* * *

The next morning, a very tired looking Koga dejectedly greeted his best men at the small home's front door.

"Geez you look exhausted. Did you sleep at all?" Ginta wondered, as he studied his former alpha's appearance from outside the doorway.

He, Frisk and Hakkaku had just arrived to Kagome's old home along with the kimono experts that would be dressing the soon to be wed couple.

"Kind of." Koga grumbled, as he led his small party to his place in Sota's old room.

"Too nervous?" Hakkau supplied.

"That wasn't it." Koga said on a sigh, as he replayed the events of the previous night over in his head.

He had tried sneaking over to Kagome's room several times, but each time that he did, his mother in law's _guard dog_ , would raise holy hell, prompting her to get out of bed and investigate. This chain of events repeatedly forced Koga to run back to Sota's bedroom to hide.

Each time that he had heard Inuyasha snoring, he would try again and the cycle would repeat itself. The few times that he was caught, he made the excuse of needing to go to the bathroom.

After the fifth time being caught 'needing to go to the bathroom', Mom had concluded that her cooking had somehow made him ill and he then had to spend an hour trying to convince her otherwise.

"Are you worried about the ceremonies, then?" Frisk pushed, as Koga's two hired kimono experts tied off the hakama portion of his black montsuki kimono while he ran his fingers through his long, loose hair.

"Of course not." Koga grumbled, as he looked himself over in Sota's full length mirror.

"Why would you worry?" Ginta said, sarcastically. "You basically brushed off most of yesterday's rehearsals. What could possibly go wrong?"

Koga immediately threw Ginta an angry look which caused the man to loudly giggle at his expense.

"You're only going to exchange vows with the most important person in your life today with everyone watching. If you fuck up, the day will be completely ruined." Hakkaku said, simply.

"You're not helping my confidence here!" Koga spat, as his haori jacket was placed upon him.

Koga looked over the emblem that was stitched into the material which was supposed to represent his family's crest. Since Koga didn't have one, he chose an image of two fanged teeth.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever you fuck up during the Shinto ceremony, you can correct in the mating ceremony that I preside over afterwards." Ginta teased, as he stared at the front page of last week's issue of the The Japan Times that was left behind on Sota's nightstand.

The newspaper featured a giant photograph of a hulking wolf demon shaking the Norwegian prime minister's arm. The headline read, 'Wolves Saved! Monumental Protective Act Signed!'.

"This guy is really something else." Ginta said, as he held up the newspaper cover to the three men in the room. "Did any of you get a chance to read about this?"

Koga began to laugh nervously while Frisk beamed.

"Of course I have. The government is offering full protection to the country's wolf population in exchange for full protection of the Norwegian citizens. The 'ancient civilization of gifted beings' was forgiven the slaughters of the country's humans on the condition that they dedicate their strength back into the country. If Norway ever goes to war, those guys will be fighting on the front lines. Which, really sucks for anyone stupid enough to become an enemy of Norway." Frisk rambled, as if lost in thought.

"This is really great news for both wolves and wolf demons everywhere. I hope that many other governments try to mimic what's going on there." Hakkaku said, honestly.

"Did you read the part about the cell phones?" Koga interrupted, as he chuckled.

"Oh yea, per their request, the wolf demons are being provided with basic smart phones. Clean energy resources will be provided around each of their dens free of charge as well." Frisk said.

"Watch what happens next." Ginta said, knowingly. "That little bit of technology is going to change their lives and plug them into a world that they never before knew existed. It won't take long before many members of those packs decide to leave and set forth into human civilizations. If I had to guess, in another hundred years, the packs will be completely dissolved." He said, sadly.

"I doubt that the leader of the 'ancient civilization of gifted beings' will ever leave." Koga said, knowingly.

"He's a scary one." Ginta admitted, as he studied Lucian's picture. "They never made any mention of his name in the entire article. I wonder who he is."

"His name is Lucian." Frisk said happily, as Koga frantically waved his hand under his throat in silent protest. "I've actually met the guy!" He said, proudly.

"You're kidding?!" Ginta exclaimed, as he took another look at the photo. "Lucian must really be a popular name in Norway then." He mumbled, as he became lost in thought. "The main character in my favorite book series was a Norwegian wolf demon named Lucian. The man was everything that I always wanted to be." He admitted. "I was such a fan that I even named my son after him."

Koga froze and stared at Ginta with wide eyes.

" _You_ picked your son's name?!"

As far as Koga could tell, Kagome's Aethelwulf series was destroying lives, one wolf demon at a time.

"I picked all of my children's names." Ginta admitted. "They're all named after the kick ass characters in those books."

"Annika was okay with this?" Koga asked, in disbelief. "She didn't put up any fight, at all?"

"Why would she? Annika _is_ _from_ Norway. She only stayed in Japan because of me. Our children are being raised in my country and I wanted their names to at least have traditional roots in their mother's country. It only seemed fair. They are half Norwegian after all."

The conversation was interrupted by a hurried knock against the door. As the men turned, the door opened and Sota popped into the room. Today, he was dressed in full shōzoku Shinto priest attire. His hakama pants were a royal purple, and his long robe was white and tied off into a pleat below his waist. His kanmuri, or headdress, was black and he carried the traditional shaku baton in his right hand.

"Five minutes until show time!" He said, happily. "You may want to take your places by the steps for the procession. All guests are accounted for." He said, enthusiastically.

Koga just stared at him.

"Let's go!" Sota roared, springing Koga into action.

Instead of exiting the room, he instead began to pace wildly around its center.

"And… there he goes. Immediately losing his shit." Frisk huffed, as he took off across the room and grabbed Koga by the arm. "Follow me, jerk off."

Koga just stared at him with eyes wide with hysteria.

Ginta sighed and promptly took Koga's other arm while Hakkaku got behind him.

"Looks like he needs an escort." Hakkaku chuckled, as the three men began to drag Koga outside.

* * *

Kagome stood at the top of the steps leading into the Higurashi shrine. Behind her, was a small gathering made up of her and Koga's closest family and friends.

All of Alpha Team was there along with Sesshomaru, canine Inuyasha, former General Yamada, and department heads Anatomy and Inspect. All other attendees were comprised of Ginta and Hakkaku's families and two newly recruited agents.

"You look beautiful." Annika whispered from behind her.

The poor woman had apparently taken a break from trying to console Kagome's sobbing mother. The poor woman had been hysterically crying for the last twenty minutes.

"I look like a Q-tip." Kagome joked, as she smiled.

Currently, she was dressed in a tight white shiromuku kimono. Her hair was hidden underneath a Bunkin Takashimada styled wig that was adorned with a golden comb at the crown and several protruding white flowers. Over the wig, she wore the traditional coned shaped wataboshi. This was a traditional hood that was meant to hide her 'horns of jealousy' from her future husband, it also happened to look like the cottony end of a Q-tip.

On this day she was to endure three more costume changes after this one, all of which would take place after each marked milestone of the proceeding reception.

As Kagome fought the urge to ask someone for the time, she literarily witnessed Frisk, Hakkaku and Ginta dragging a dumbstruck Koga to her side.

 _Really?_ Kagome wondered. _We're already mated! What's the big deal?_

"He looks most enthusiastic about marrying you." Sesshomaru whispered smugly, from behind her.

She tried to ignore the muted chuckle that briefly escaped his lips, and the loud snickers that erupted from his brother's mouth.

Koga's best men made quick work of flinging his stiff body into the empty place at Kagome's right side.

"Are you feeling ok?" She whispered, as Koga worriedly looked her over.

"Are you… wearing a wig?" He grumbled, in response.

Kagome sighed and resigned herself to watching as a small fleet of videographers and photographers took their places around the procession.

"Ready?" Sota asked gently, as he approached them.

Both Koga and Kagome nodded.

"Good." Sota whispered, as he looked off to the side. "Hina, you're up."

Sota's fiancé was wearing the traditional shrine maiden's costume on this day. Her white robe was tucked into her bright red hakama pants, which were tied off right below her breasts. Her hair was pulled back into a low pony tail which was held back by a white cloth.

Hina took her place behind Sota and in front of Kagome and Koga. As she got into position, Kagome noticed that Koga was intensely studying her state of dress.

 _He's going to want me to wear that for him_. She realized, as she tried to stifle a laugh.

Before she could think upon it further, the sound of the flute and drums began playing ancient court music at the front of the precession, kicking off the commencement of the shinzen kekkonshiki (wedding before the gods).

 _Here we go!_ Kagome thought excitedly, as the line began to slowly walk across the grounds and over to the entranceway of her family's shrine.

She found herself grateful that Koga willfully walked alongside her as he was supposed to, without needing any support.

 _I hope you're watching this, Daddy._ Kagome thought, as she willed tears not to cloud her vision. _You too, grandpa. I wish you were both here for this. I really do._

Upon entry into the shrine, Sota and Hina split up and took their places at each side of the alter.

Kagome and Koga stood in front of a small table facing the altar in the middle of the floor. As they did so, their eighteen wolf demon attendees stood on the side of the shrine that faced Koga while all other guests stood on the side facing Kagome.

Once everyone was in place, all bowed in the direction of the alter and sat down.

Sota stepped forward and gave a small speech the sanctity of marriage. Once he finished, he began to wave the haraigusi branch around, purifying the shrine from benevolent spirits. The moment he was done with the purification, he proudly announced the couple's union before the gods using their real names. He then happily announced the start of the sankon no gi ceremony, prompting Hina to approach their table with a set of sake cups presented on a ceremonial tray.

The first small cup, symbolizing the heavens and appreciation for dead ancestors, was offered to Koga and he held it up waiting for Hina to fill it. Once she did, he took the required three sips, finishing the drink and passing the cup back to Hina. She then transferred the cup into Kagome's hands. Hina then refilled the cup and it was Kagome's turn to finish the contents using three sips. Once this was completed, Hina handed Koga a larger sake cup, symbolizing the earth and the couple's vow to care for each other for the remainder of their lives. She filled it and Koga took his required three sips, before the cup was passed over in the same manner. Finally, the last and largest sake cup, which symbolized the result of the fertile union between heaven and earth, which was 'people', was passed over and the cycle was repeated for the last time.

At the completion of the sakon no gi, both Koga and Kagome were invited up to the alter so that Koga could read the vow to the Shinto gods that Sota had prepared for him. This was followed by an offering of Japanese evergreen leaves to the gods which were placed upon the alter.

"And now, the rings." Sota said happily, as he nodded to the couple.

Koga and Kagome immediately turned to face each other in front of the alter as Hina stood by their side. As Koga took Kagome's left hand in his, Hina handed him Kagome's wedding ring. He smiled as he took it and placed it onto her hand, before pushing her engagement ring onto her finger after it.

Kagome looked down and noticed that the wedding ring was a wide, polished silver band. The entirety of the band had embedded diamonds throughout. The face of the ring had two fang shaped diamonds that fit over the two 'fangs' that were protruding from her engagement ring, which had now been flipped in the opposite direction. With the two halves now facing each other, the two rows of teeth now took on the appearance of a fierce wolf like snarl with the main stone of her engagement ring clenched within its fangs. The final result was truly unique and it was all Koga represented in a feminine and endearing way.

Kagome immediately smiled.

"I love it." She whispered, as she winked at him in approval and turned to retrieve Koga's wedding ring from Hina.

She gently picked up her loving creation and took Koga's hand in hers. She didn't hesitate to push the ring onto his finger and she giggled as he hurriedly pulled his hand away from hers so that he could hold it up and inspect it.

The inside of the ring was made of a stained and highly polished cherry wood. The outside of the band was made up of a sliced portion of Lucian's tooth. The tip of the tooth was wrapped around a sliver of the bone's own base. Upon view, the bone was fashioned in such a way that the tip took on the appearance of an arrow head. The spike of the arrow's body and its feathered tail was burned into the demonic bone using Kagome's own purification powers, which she channeled by use of a silver needle. She also singed the edges of the tooth to complete the look.

As the bone was derived from the most powerful demon on the planet, the ring itself had a very heavy and dark feel to it.

Kagome watched as Koga's face immediately brightened. He didn't need to say a word about the ring for Kagome to know that he immediately loved it. The design was so him and so her at the same time.

"Congratulations!" Sota cheered out in the background, while Hina walked around and poured cups of sake to all the attendees of the ceremony.

Koga took Kagome into his arms and lovingly took her mouth with his. All attendees of the ceremony happily held their sake cups up and toasted to their union.

After several moments of passionate kissing, the couple was interrupted by Sota loudly coughing.

"You still have to exit." He whispered, attempting to remind them of what they practiced during yesterday's rehearsal.

Kagome giggled and took Koga by the hand, prompting him to follow her outside where they would begin taking pictures.

* * *

After twenty minutes of wedding photos were taken, Kagome was rushed away to change into her red and gold silk kimono which she would be wearing during the mating ceremony.

"Half way there!" Ginta said, enthusiastically. "Do you remember your vows?"

"Of course I do." Koga said happily, as he took his place before the large tree that was adorned with a Shimenawa rope. "Hey, mutt face!" He shouted, as he pointed to the tree. "Do you feel like taking a nap?"

Inuyasha stared at Koga from his place far across the grounds and threw him a dirty look.

"You need to grow up. You still let him get to you way too easily." Sage chided, as he suddenly appeared at Inuyasha's side.

Inuyasha instantly startled and tested the air surrounding his newfound company.

"It really _is_ you." Inuyasha whispered, as he identified a most remembered scent.

He curiously studied his long lost friend who had the appearance of a man he had only ever seen on Sesshomaru's television screen.

Sage, as always, had the appearance of a wirey framed elderly man with short orange hair. His eyes were brown and he had freckles washing over his nose and down his cheeks. His face was round and his features were always serious.

"Drop the disguise, Shippo. There's no need for it here."

Sage laughed loudly and released his transformation. As he did so, the air around him clouded with smoke. Inuyasha watched on as the smoke dissipated and a tall demon with fox paws and a fox tail now stood in Sage's place. The demon boasted twinkling green eyes and short orange hair that playfully wisped over his face in the breeze. His features were masculine, but soft. He was very handsome.

Shippo appeared to have only aged a few years since the last time that Inuyasha saw him, two hundred and fifty years ago. Their last reunion happened to take place right before he died.

Shippo smiled at Inuyasha mischievously.

"Kagome's been trying to get in touch with you. She's going to be pissed." Inuyasha warned.

"I've missed you, too." Shippo said coyly, intentionally attempting to sidestep Inuyasha's chastising words.

"Drop the act, asshole! What the fuck is the matter with you?! How dare you hide who you are from Kagome?! She's talked to you so many times over the years. How could you never once tell her who you really were? When she was forced out of the Feudal Era, she was so depressed. She thought that she had lost everyone. Once she joined R.O.O.T, you had to have known who the hell she was, Shippo. She's been a high profile agent for years now. How could you have never reached out to her?" Inuyasha growled in anger.

Shippo sucked his teeth.

"Who do you think it was that found her and sent agents in to recruit her?" He whispered, now becoming angry. "I never gave up hope in looking for her, even after you died. Granted I didn't devote my entire existence to it." He admitted. "I've had agents keeping an eye on the property surrounding that stupid well for centuries. When Kagome's father died and her mother moved here, Kagome was just a child. Once I found her, everything fell into place. I realized that Kagome never died back in our time. Instead, she must have been transported back to her time. Through a network of carefully placed spies, I've been able to keep tabs on her throughout the years. I heard about how that little girl grew up, I heard about how she would use that well to visit us in the past, and I heard about the mental breakdown that she had on the day that the stupid well stopped working." Shippo admitted. "It was fucking horrible." He spat.

"Instead of spying on her, you should have been around to console her! What a piece of shit friend you turned out to be."

Shippo sighed.

"What was I _supposed_ to say to her? That all of us, save for one, moved right the fuck on? Should I have told her that you dedicated the remainder of your life to looking for her, instead of actually living and finding happiness? Should I have told her that you died alone and unfulfilled?" Shippo whispered, harshly. "Don't you think that would have been even crueler in her vulnerable state of mind, than just leaving her be?"

Inuyasha instantly quieted, not knowing how to answer that. So, he instead changed the track of the conversation.

"Sesshomaru doesn't know who you really are."

"Why would he? That stuck up brother of yours has never really bothered with this organization. He founded it as a gift to his late wife, probably as a way to ease his own suffering. He only recently decided to involve himself in it, and I felt, and still feel, that there is no need to disclose my real identity to him. It's none of his business anyway."

"All things in _my_ organization are my business." Sesshomaru hissed angrily into Shippo's ear, as he immediately appeared behind him.

"Ahhhhh!" Shippo shrieked, as he jumped high up into the air. He attempted to run off but found that he was unable to do so as Sesshomaru was fisting the back of his kimono. "You've gotten much faster since I last saw you!"

"There is a lesson that you will learn today, _mischievous_ _fox_." Sesshomaru seethed, as an expression of pure fury coasted over his face. "I will teach you _respect_."

"HELP!" Shippo pleaded, as his eyes flew over to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha casually turned his nose up in the air.

"You're not a little kid anymore Shippo. Clean up your own mess." Inuyasha grumbled.

Before Sesshomaru could drag Shippo off for a long overdue ass kicking, he was interrupted by the gasps of admiration that were erupting from the sea of guests that were floating about the property.

Sesshomaru sucked his teeth loudly in frustration.

"After _that_ ceremony is over, you are mine." Sesshomaru threatened, as he kept his hold on Shippo's kimono and roughly dragged him over to the base of Inuyasha's tree.

Kagome, who now looked like a royal empress, was slowly making her way towards the sacred tree to join Koga. She was encircled by Koga's entire pack of wolves. The two alphas were flanking her sides and the seven lower ranking animals were walking in step behind her. There was also a fleet of cameras following along, recording the memory, as she glided along the path that led to her mate.

The moment that Kagome joined Koga at the base of the tree, he took her hands and they both fell to their knees on the provided pillows while the wolves took their seats around them, forming a tight circle.

"When do you get to take that stupid thing off?" Koga whispered, as he stared at her hair.

"Shut up. This is a tradition."

"Not for wolf demons."

"I am _not_ a wolf demon. I am a human and this wig is what Shinto brides wear!"

"Ah hem." Ginta interrupted, as he stood before the kneeling couple.

Koga and Kagome immediately silenced.

"This is going to be in wolf." Ginta advised the audience, before he began to smoothly rumble and growl lowly in his throat.

The translation of all that would be said was provided to Kagome weeks ago. Ginta was going to go into a brief history of the wolf demon people and the instinctual act of mating. He then would invoke their tribe's wolf demon ancestors to bless their pairing and bestow their future children with the power and strength of the clan. At the end of this speech, she and Koga would exchange vows.

Kagome found herself concentrating on her prepared speech while Ginta talked. When Ginta finally stopped speaking, he leaned down and placed his hands on her and Koga's shoulders.

At the contact, Koga immediately lifted Kagome's hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles before clearing his throat. As he was about to start speaking, a small commotion erupted from behind them within the crowd.

"Tiny human! Little alpha!" Roared a most familiar and unexpected voice.

Koga and Kagome both startled and swung their heads over in the direction of the noise.

"No way." Koga whispered, as he quickly identified Lucian's giant presence in the far off grounds. "No. Fucking. Way."

Lucian was wearing... a black kimono?

The traditional Japanese garb looked so wrong on him on so many different levels.

The moment that Lucian's eyes met Koga's, he immediately took off in his direction. As he walked, a large group of similarly dressed werewolves began to appear one by one at the top of the shrine steps. Out of the large group, Kagome was able to identify, Fenrir, Thoren and Aslaug.

"He brought all of his kids, didn't he?" Kagome whispered, in shock.

"Why is he here?" Koga demanded, as he scanned the many faces in the crowd.

Sesshomaru was smiling widely.

 _That, asshole!_ Koga's mind spat, as he spared one confused moment to study the familiar looking person that Sesshomaru was practically strangling in plain view.

Before Koga could think upon this, Ginta harshly interrupted him.

"What the hell is happening?" Ginta whispered, his usually calm and cheerful voice was now completely on edge.

"Um." Koga stammered, as he and Kagome instinctually scanned the crowd for Annika.

Her face was a ghostly shade of white.

"Ginta, I think Annika is about to pass out." Kagome warned, prompting the man to leave them and run over to her side.

The couple watched on as the clan of twenty six hulking werewolves set forth and took their place within an open area around the tree.

As if on cue, all warriors reached into their kimonos and pulled out their cell phones, raising them high above their heads as they obviously tried to record the event.

"Continue!" Lucian ordered, as he stared up into the screen of his highly held phone.

"Uh…" Kagome whispered, as she studied Koga's worried face.

Koga sighed and turned to face her. He then leaned over her, placing a tender kiss upon her cheek, as his lips found their way to her ear.

" _Lady Kagome_. I vow myself to you on my very blood, on my wolf demon pride. I will love and care for you, from this day, until the end of days, in this life and the next. I bind myself to you in both body and soul. You are my heaven and will always hold my heart." He promised, as he slowly sat back upon his heels and studied her smiling face.

Kagome instantly got to her knees and, with Koga's assistance due to the tight kimono situation, leaned over to his ear.

" _Lord Koga_. I love you with all that I have and all that I am. I will cherish and honor you every day, until the end of days. I will always protect you in this life and the next. I bind myself to you in both soul and body. You are my earth and will always hold my heart." She swore, as she too sat back upon her heels.

The couple lovingly stared at each other for a few minutes, memorizing the oaths of devotion that they had just heard from their partner's lips, before they both embraced each other in a heated kiss.

"Wonderful!" Lucian roared, as he lowered his phone and returned it to its place inside of his kimono. "Now that these two are bound…" He trailed off, as he turned and set forth in Annika's direction.

The woman looked completely horrified.

"Why are you here?!" She squeaked, as she tried to back away.

"Family vacation!" Lucian said smugly, as he towered over her and took her into a tight hug, before whispering in her ear. "Address your children. They miss you, Anni." He said simply, as he released her.

Annika hesitantly looked in the direction of her adult children. All stood with their heads held highly in the air, with an air of importance and stature. All were highly bred warriors, all alphas of their own packs; ranks that were earned by their own strength. And yet all the warriors that were born from the world's most powerful demonic bloodline, were all obviously holding back tears as they looked upon her.

"My babies!" Annika cried out, as she allowed her own tears to fall and ran at top speed over to them.

The werewolves immediately surrounded her, all taking turns hugging and nuzzling her.

"Who?" Ginta stammered, as he juggled baby Axl in his arms, while he and his own children watched the very obvious reunion.

"Go." Lucian grumbled at his side. "Those are Annika's children." He growled, as he dropped to his knee to address Ginta's children. "And those are _your_ brothers and sisters."

Ginta's children all stared at him with wide eyes.

"Lucian." Ginta growled, his words pulling the attention of both his oldest son and the king of the werewolves. "Take your brothers and sisters over to your mother."

When young Lucian hesitated, the werewolf king took the teenager's face in his hands.

"You look just like your mother." He admitted, as he studied the boy. "You honor me with your name. Grow strong with it." He grumbled, before he released him.

"Go on, Lucian." Ginta pushed, prompting the boy to set forth with his brothers and sisters following closely behind him.

"You, too." Lucian ordered, as he placed his giant hand upon Ginta's back and began to push him over to the group.

Ginta looked completely shell shocked.

Koga and Kagome could actually see as his mind began to connect all the dots surrounding his current situation as they watched him set forth.

"Poor, Ginta." Koga whispered, as he helped Kagome get to her feet and the couple posed for several photographs.

"He'll get through it." Kagome whispered through clenched teeth, as she smiled brightly for the camera.

Off in the distance she could see Lucian throwing his arm over Ginta's shoulders as he slowly introduced him to each of his children. He had taken baby Axl into his free arm and was expertly handling the child while he escorted Ginta around.

Ginta looked shocked but he was willingly embracing each of Annika's children as he met them and proceeded down the line.

"Alright people!" Frisk shouted. "While these two finish taking pictures…." He said, as he pointed to Koga and Kagome. "…the limos are ready and waiting to bring the rest of us over to the reception. Let's get a move on!"

* * *

Upon arrival at the reception hall, which was actually located within the Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel that they were staying at, Kagome was whisked away by her bridal party so that she could once again change.

Koga was in turn escorted to the groom's quarters where he would change into his tuxedo and wait for her while in the company of his groomsmen.

Once Kagome was ready, they were to walk into the reception hall together and share their first dance as a married pair.

"See, in Western culture, the bride and groom only have to wear one outfit!" Frisk joked, as Koga exited the changing room and studied his new appearance in the provided full length mirror.

Koga laughed before he took off with Frisk in the direction of the bar and promptly ordered a beer.

"If this were _only_ a wolf demon wedding…." Ginta slurred, from his place at the bar. "…there would only be one outfit, too." He said sadly, as Hakkaku sympathetically rubbed his back.

"Christ, Ginta." Koga huffed, as he took in the current state of his best man. "How much have you had to drink?"

Ginta slowly turned his head in Koga's direction and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Cut him off." Koga growled to the bartender. "Water from now on."

"You're not the boss of me!" Ginta grumbled. "Take some fucking pity on me for once, would ya?"

"Be gentle." Hakkaku whispered. "He's been through a lot today."

"Damn it, Ginta." Koga sighed, as he sat down next to his former beta. "This is about Lucian isn't it?"

"Did you know that he was once mated to Annika?" Ginta said, sadly. "He obviously seemed to know both you and Kagome." He said, as he grimaced.

 _How to go about this?_ Koga wondered, as he looked over the sorry state of his friend.

"Yes, I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ginta sniffled.

"Kagome asked me not to." Koga said, honestly. "Annika told Kagome about Lucian the day that we came over for dinner. She also told her that you both shared a promise to never speak about your pasts with one another and that any knowledge of Lucian should be kept a secret. Based upon that agreement, it wasn't our place to say anything to you. Back when we were on a mission, we happened to meet Lucian. Do you remember all those phone calls that were going back and forth between Annika and Kagome at the time?"

"Yea."

"They were really between Annika and her children. They wanted to speak with her and they used Kagome's phone to do it." Koga admitted. "I'm sorry I never said anything. But, I didn't want to put you through anything unnecessarily."

"Kagome lied to me then." Ginta mumbled. "When she called me after your mission, and I asked her what was going on, she told me that she and Annika had just been discussing some relationship problems that you two were having and it was upsetting for Annika. She lied to me."

Koga sucked his teeth.

"She didn't want to, she just didn't know what else to do. She wasn't going to just blow you off. She cares about you too much."

When Ginta didn't say anything further, Koga tried to comfort him.

"Believe me, I know it's hard not to compare yourself to the people in your mate's past, but I've actually learned recently that all that stuff really doesn't matter." Koga said, honestly. "You can't be angry at her for having a past before she met you. She most likely would have happily told you about her family if you didn't make her swear never to say anything in the first place."

"That's not the problem, moron." Ginta grumbled. "She alienated her children, _because of me_. My children were deprived of knowing their older siblings, _because of me_. Do you know how shitty that makes me feel?" He spat. "I had no idea Annika even had a family. Regardless of our promise to one another, I think that something like that was certainly worth mentioning, don't you?!"

"She was probably afraid that if she told you, she'd upset you, Ginta."

"Why? Why the fuck would she think that way?" Ginta grumbled. "Am I that much of an asshole that she believed that I would actually leave her if I knew she had children once before?"

"Look, I know this probably isn't going to make a lot of sense, but I understand her fear. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with her." Koga said knowingly, as he reflected on his own past behavior with Kagome. "Since I've found Kagome again, I have been afraid of losing her and that fear has led me to say and do some terrible things. I don't condone what Annika did, but I can somehow relate to her illogical decision making when it comes to you. Love can be terrifying for some people, Ginta. If she would go so far as to hide her family from you because you told her that knowing about her past would bother you, then maybe you should throw her a bone on this one. She believed that she was protecting your feelings. She definitely took it way too far, but in her mind, she felt as though she had no other choice."

Ginta frowned.

"I know you would never leave Annika because she has a past. You're like Kagome in that way. You can admit your insecurities and try to move past them. But people like me, we don't necessarily know how to do that. People like me need a lot of help." He said, as he nodded to Frisk.

"Forget help. People like you require a fucking full time staff." Frisk grumbled, as he rolled his eyes.

"Talk to her Ginta. I'm sure she's worried sick right now because she's afraid of what you might do next." Koga said, sympathetically.

"The bride is ready." Sesshomaru aloofly interrupted, as he entered the groom's quarters.

"It's go time!" Frisk shouted to the group. "Meet in the main lobby and await Inspect's instructions. We're going to pair off, people. The bride and groom will take the rear!"

Everyone excitedly got to their feet and rushed out to the lobby.

"Alright, motherfuckers!" Inspect roared, as the groomsmen joined the bridesmaids in the lobby.

Sesshomaru immediately scowled at her.

"Except for you, General." She corrected, before she looked over the eager group.

All of the groomsmen were wearing black tuxedos and matching back ties while Koga was wearing a black tux with a silver tie. All the women were wearing silver halter top gowns and their hair was worn in ornate French twists and Sesshomaru wore a silver tuxedo to match them. The bride was currently hidden upstairs and was waiting for Mystic to give her the signal to join everyone.

"Let's get a move on." Frisk roared, prompting Inspect into action.

"Line up per my direction." She hissed, as she began to call out names.

"Sota and Hina, you're at the front. Quake and Mystic, you're following Sota. Then it's Anatomy and Terrain, Ginta and Annika, Hakkaku and Itsumi, Trinity and Trace, Sesshomau and Inuyasha." She said quickly, as everyone formed a long line. "Frisk, you're in the back with me."

Once everyone was settled, Inspect nodded to Mystic who closed her eyes for a moment, relaying the message to Kagome.

"She's coming down." Mystic said excitedly, as all heads turned in the direction of the stairwell and Koga took his place at the bottom of the stairs.

A few seconds passed before Kagome appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a form fitting western style wedding dress that looked to be made of lace and silk. The bodice was tight and strapless and hugged her lean frame, while the remainder of the dress was loose and flowing in soft white waves down to the floor. She wore a hint of gold eyeshadow and her eyeliner was black and winged giving her a sensual look. Her hair, _her real hair_ , was worn half up and half down. The top portion of her hair was tied behind her head into a loose bun which was adorned with small diamonds. The lower portion of her hair was curled into loose, wild waves that spilled down her bare back.

A few of the groomsmen whistled in awe at the sight of her.

Koga found himself completely mesmerized by Kagome's appearance. She looked like an angel, and to him, she had never before looked so breathtakingly beautiful. He was thankful that he was able to raise his hand and offer it to her as she approached him at the bottom of the stairs.

"You look amazing." He whispered, as his bonding scent wafted over her. "Absolutely stunning, baby." He growled, as his eyes began to bleed red.

Kagome cupped his face in her hands and took his mouth in a tender kiss.

"Do we have any extra time?" Koga growled to their wedding party, without ever taking his eyes off of Kagome.

"Stop being a pig!" Frisk shouted. "Worry about getting laid later. We have to go!"

"Come on, baby. This is the fun part." Kagome whispered, as she led Koga to the back of the formed line. "I'm sure we can sneak away for a few minutes later." She promised. "This place has gotta have a stairwell somewhere!"

Once in position, the line slowly began to move towards the booming music coming from the reception hall. As they progressed, Kagome noticed that Frisk and Inspect were holding hands.

The realization wouldn't have been so monumental if Frisk had been wearing his gloves like he always did. However, today, he intentionally wasn't, and now Kagome finally understood why.

 _These two…._ Her mind sputtered. _Holy shit, Frisk!_

She couldn't believe it. She never thought she'd see the day that Frisk would remove the barrier between him and a woman that he was interested in.

 _No, not interested in._ Her mind corrected. _He's in love with her. They're in love with each other._

She felt her heart swell at the realization and she immediately nudged Koga and pointed at the entwined hands of the couple directly in front of them, watching for his reaction.

Koga's eyes widened in disbelief before an honest smile crossed his face.

"It's about time."

* * *

The remainder of the reception seemed to be a blur.

Kagome and Koga spent most of it dancing, only breaking long enough to sit through the heartfelt speeches made by some of their most precious people and for Kagome to change into her final dress after they had cut the cake. Being a sucker for sentiment, she had chosen the champagne colored dress that she had worn on the day that Koga had proposed to her.

The couple also spontaneously disappeared on a few occasions for several minutes as well, most likely to a recently discovered stairwell.

There was also a private moment spared by the Higurashi siblings that was spent pulling Inuyasha aside so that they could inform him of their joint decision to allow him to stay in their dog's body.

Inuyasha was elated.

As the reception was now starting to close and R.O.O.T's team of psychics began to slowly enter the reception hall for the purpose of suppressing memories, Koga looked around at his happy guests.

Kagome was currently busy attempting to tend to Shippo's two black eyes and swollen face. As she did so, the two old friends seemed to be catching up while in the presence of Inuyasha.

For reasons unknown, Agent Tempest and her brother, agent Inuyasha, appeared to be teaching Trinity how to hold, and use, a katana sword.

Former General Yamada was extremely busy flirting with Kagome's mom, who from the look of it, was slipping him her phone number.

Ginta, Annika, Hakkaku, Itsumi, Terrain and Anatomy were dancing to the Viking house music that the DJ was playing the background. Annika was laughing her ass off while she, and her twenty five adult children, attempted to give Ginta and their six younger children detailed instructions on how they should move to the music. Hakkaku and Itsumi's eight kids were involved in the tutorial as well.

 _Looks like those two managed to work everything out._ Koga thought happily to himself, before he scanned around the rest of the room.

Lucian and Sesshomaru seemed to be having a heated discussion by the bar. Sota and Hina were making out in a darkened corner. And Frisk and Inspect were drunkenly arm wrestling at their table, with the balance of their R.O.O.T affiliated guests shouting over them, obviously taking bets on the winner.

"Did you have a good time?" Kagome whispered in his ear, pulling his attention away from their guests.

Koga laughed. "How's Shippo?"

"Sore." Kagome said, quickly. "But, he should heal up fast. Sesshomaru didn't lay too much into him. It was just enough to get his point across. For whatever it's worth, he does feel badly about everything."

"You're too forgiving." Koga said roughly, as he took his wife into his arms.

"Forgiveness is hard. It is hard to ask for it and it is hard to give it, but making peace cleanses the soul. It really does."

"You can say that again, and you have _the_ most beautiful soul, baby. Don't ever change who you are." Koga said softly, as he took his wife's lips with his own. "I love you just the way you are."

"I love you, too." Kagome said tenderly against his mouth, as she lost herself in the kiss.


	36. Chapter 36

Support the Author! Write a good review of the professionally written, non-Inuyasha version, of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books or iBooks! Just search for "Forbidden by Diana Leston". You **don't** have to buy the book to leave a review! Just please do not make any Inuyasha references if you do.

And make sure to subscribe to my blog on www. DianaLeston .com to get updates on future editions.

* * *

Author's Note

Just like with Books 1 and 2, I would like to thank the many readers who have favorited and followed this story, and those who have added me to their listing of favorite authors.

Now that this story is complete, I am going to be putting my head down for a bit.

I promise that I am not disappearing permanently, but it will be some time before I come out with the next book.

Since Book 2, my goal has been to become published. So, my time will now be spent revising and rewriting these three stories and changing a bunch of stuff.

Obviously, all Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But, R.O.O.T, Lucian, and all other non-Inuyasha characters truly belong to me! Yay!

Wish me luck! I will keep everyone posted!

Thanks, Mom for always reading my updates and giving me honest feedback!

Shout outs go to…

Maria Espinoza, beepers, magix234, Red4321, Dswin83, HanyouKagome962, aliciabear22 and to the guests that have taken the time to send a review.

Now that this story is completed, please feel free to read it in its uninterrupted entirety.

Love,

-GambitLove


End file.
